Chicago Sun-Times publishes made-up books and fake experts in AI debacle

is platforms and communities reporter with five years of experience covering the companies that shape technology and the people who use their tools. The May 18th issue of the Chicago Sun-Times features dozens of pages of recommended summer activities: new trends, outdoor activities, and books to read. But some of the recommendations point to fake, AI-generated books, and other articles quote and cite people that don’t appear to exist. Alongside actual books like Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman, a summer reading list features fake titles by real authors. Min Jin Lee is a real, lauded novelist — but “Nightshade Market,” “a riveting tale set in Seoul’s underground economy,” isn’t one of her works. Rebecca Makkai, a Chicago local, is credited for a fake book called “Boiling Point” that the article claims is about a climate scientist whose teenage daughter turns on her. In a post on Bluesky, the Sun-Times said it was “looking into how this made it into print,” noting that it wasn’t ... Read full article.