New York- The recommended reading list contained some fiction works. It also contained some works that, in fact, were fictitious.
The King Features content distributor says he has fired a writer who used artificial intelligence to produce a story about summer reading suggestions containing books that did not exist.
The list appeared in “Heat Index: Your Guide to the Best of Summer”, a special section distributed in the Chicago Sun-Times and The Philadelphia Inquirer last Sunday.
More than half of the books listed were false, according to the author of the article, Marco Buscaglia, who admitted to having used AI to help in his research, but did not verify what he produced. “A really stupid mistake on me,” Buscaglia wrote on his Facebook page.
It is the last case of an AI shortcut that becomes counterproductive and ashamed of news organizations. Sports Illustrated He was surprised in 2023 by listing non -existent authors for reviews of products published on his website. The Gannett news service had to pause an experiment that used AI for sports stories after errors were discovered.
“Heat Index’s summer supplement was created by an independent creator who used the development of his history without revealing the use of AI,” said King Features unions in a statement, noting that they have a strict policy against the use of AI to create material. Only Sun-Times and Inquirer have used the supplement, the organization said.
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Among the summer reading suggestions was “The Last Algorithm” by Andy Weir, described as “a thriller driven by science that follows a programmer who discovers that an AI system has developed awareness” and has been secretly influencing in world events. “Nightshade Market,” by Min Jin Lee, said it was a “fascinating story set in the clandestine economy of Seoul.”
Both authors are real, but not the books. “I have not written and I will not write a novel called ‘Nightshade Market’,” Lee published in X.
Sun-Times said he was investigating whether any other inaccurate information was included in the “Heat Index” supplement and reviewing their relationships with other content partners.
“We are at a time of great transformation in journalism and technology, and at the same time our industry is still besieged by commercial challenges,” said the newspaper. “This should be a learning moment for all journalism organizations: our work is valued, and valuable, for the humanity behind.”
Both Sun-Times and Inquirer said they have eliminated the supplement of their digital editions. The special section of the Inquirer was published on May 15.
The Inquirer has used King Features for comics, puzzles and other material for more than 40 years, said Lisa Hughes, his editor and executive director. “The Inquirer’s writing room is not involved in the production of these syndicated characteristics, nor was it involved in the creation of Heat Index,” he said.
The error was first reported by Technological Publication 404 Media.
It was not clear who in King Features had the responsibility of editing Bascalia’s material. The writer based in Chicago He said on Facebook that “I am completely guilty here, just a terrible omission and a horrible error.”
“I’m not sure I can recover from this situation professionally,” he said. “I have many stories to tell, but I am completely responsible for what happened and I will have to endure the consequences, whatever they may be.”