The Chicago Sun-Times is under fire after publishing a summer reading list filled with entirely fictional books, mistakenly created by AI and presented as real works by acclaimed authors.
At a Glance
- Sun-Times published a summer reading guide featuring fake AI-generated book titles.
- The fabricated list named real authors like Min Jin Lee as writers of nonexistent works.
- Freelance writer Marco Buscaglia admitted to using AI without fact-checking.
- King Features Syndicate terminated its relationship with the writer over policy violations.
- The Sun-Times pledged editorial reforms and removed the section from its platform.
Fictional Titles, Real Consequences
In a stunning journalistic misstep, the Chicago Sun-Times included ten entirely fictional books in its summer reading insert “Heat Index,” attributing them to well-known authors such as Min Jin Lee. The titles—produced by an AI tool—were submitted by freelance writer Marco Buscaglia, who later admitted he failed to verify their existence. “Stupidly, and 100% on me, I just kind of republished this list that [an AI program] spit out,” he confessed.
Watch a report: Chicago Paper Prints Fake Book List
The backlash was swift. Readers voiced outrage over the publication’s lack of oversight, and Min Jin Lee publicly denied ever writing a book called Nightshade Market, one of the invented titles. Buscaglia, who had contributed regularly to the syndicate that produced the content, lost his contract with King Features, which cited its strict no-AI policy for freelancers.
Editorial Breakdown and Public Fallout
The mistake was compounded by the Sun-Times’ failure to catch the error before print. According to Victor Lim, the paper’s representative, “it is unacceptable for any content we provide to our readers to be inaccurate.” The incident led to widespread media attention and internal investigations into how the AI-generated content slipped past editors.
Melissa Bell, CEO of Chicago Public Media, which owns the Sun-Times, apologized for the distraction, emphasizing that it detracted from the newsroom’s legitimate journalism. She noted, “We are committed to making sure this never happens again,” promising new transparency measures and editorial safeguards.
A Cautionary Tale for Journalism and AI
The controversy has reignited industry-wide debates over the responsible use of AI in journalism. While generative AI can support research and brainstorming, this incident serves as a cautionary tale about its risks when used without oversight. As Bell noted, “Our work is valued — and valuable — because of the humanity behind it.”
The Sun-Times has since removed the erroneous content from its digital platforms and assured subscribers they would not be charged for the flawed supplement. The paper has also promised updates on how it plans to vet third-party content going forward.
In an age of digital misinformation, the incident underscores the enduring need for human judgment in media—and the peril of mistaking machine output for editorial truth.
