Fictional fiction: A newspaper's summer book list recommends nonexistent
books. Blame AI
[May 22, 2025]
By DAVID BAUDER
NEW YORK (AP) — The recommended reading list contained some works of
fiction. It also contained some works that were, in fact, actually
fictional.
The content distributor King Features says it has fired a writer who
used artificial intelligence to produce a story on summer reading
suggestions that contained books that didn't exist.
The list appeared in “Heat Index: Your Guide to the Best of Summer," a
special section distributed in Sunday's Chicago Sun-Times and The
Philadelphia Inquirer last week.
More than half of the books listed were fake, according to the piece's
author, Marco Buscaglia, who admitted to using AI for help in his
research but didn't double-check what it produced. “A really stupid
error on my part,” Buscaglia wrote on his Facebook page.
AI has bedeviled some news organizations
It's the latest instance of an AI shortcut backfiring and embarrassing
news organizations. Sports Illustrated was caught in 2023 listing
nonexistent authors for product reviews carried on its website. The
Gannett news service had to pause an experiment using AI for sports
stories after errors were discovered.
“The Heat Index summer supplement was created by a freelance contract
creator who used AI in its story development without disclosing the use
of AI,” the syndicators King Features said in a statement, noting it has
a strict policy against using AI to create material. Only the Sun-Times
and Inquirer have used the supplement, the organization said.
The syndicators King Features distributes comics like “Blondie” and
“Beetle Bailey,” political columns from Amy Goodman and Rich Lowry, and
advice features like “Hints From Heloise.”
Among the summer reading suggestions was “The Last Algorithm” by Andy
Weir, described as “a science-driven thriller following a programmer who
discovers an AI system has developed consciousness” and been secretly
influencing world events. “Nightshade Market,” by Min Jin Lee, was said
to be a “riveting tale set in Seoul's underground economy.”
Both authors are real, but the books aren't. “I have not written and
will not be writing a novel called ‘Nightshade Market,’” Lee posted on
X.
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The Philadelphia Inquirer and Daily News building in Philadelphia is
shown in a file photo from Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2007. (AP Photo/Matt
Rourke, File)
 The Sun-Times said it was
investigating whether any other inaccurate information was included
in the “Heat Index” supplement, and reviewing its relationships with
other content partners.
“We are in a moment of great transformation in journalism and
technology, and at the same time our industry continues to be
besieged by business challenges," the newspaper said. “This should
be a learning moment for all journalism organizations: Our work is
valued — and valuable — because of the humanity behind it.”
Both the Sun-Times and Inquirer said they have removed the
supplement from its digital editions. The Inquirer special section
was published on May 15.
Syndicated features are common for newspapers
The Inquirer has used King Features for comics, puzzles and other
material for more than 40 years, said Lisa Hughes, its publisher and
CEO. “The Inquirer newsroom is not involved in the production of
these syndicated features, nor was it involved in creating Heat
Index,” she said.
The blunder was first reported by the tech publication 404 Media.
It was not clear who at King Features had responsibility for editing
Bascaglia's material. The Chicago-based writer said on Facebook that
“I am completely at fault here — just an awful oversight and a
horrible mistake.”
“I'm not really sure I bounce back from this situation career-wise,”
he said. “I have a lot of stories left in me but I am fully
accountable for what happened and will have to endure the effects,
whatever they may be.”
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