Chicago paper publishes AI-generated 'summer reading list' with books that don't exist
On Sunday, the publication released a special 64-page section titled "Heat Index: Your Guide to the Best of Summer" which featured a list of 15 recommended books for summer. However, upon further look, it was found that 10 of the 15 books on the list were not real.
One example included a book called "Nightshade Market" by Min Jin Lee, which was described as a "riveting tale set in Seoul's underground economy" and follows "three women whose paths intersect in an illegal night market" exploring "class, gender and the shadow economies beneath prosperous societies."
Lee herself confirmed on her X account on Tuesday that the book was not real.
"I have not written and will not be writing a novel called 'Nightshade Market.' Thank you," Lee wrote.
Chicago Public Media CEO Melissa Bell remarked on the situation in an article on Tuesday, revealing that the mistake came from a freelance writer from one of their partner companies, King Features. Bell acknowledged that the list was published without review from the editorial team.
"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," Bell wrote. "This should be a learning moment for all journalism organizations: Our work is valued — and valuable — because of the humanity behind it."
Moving forward, Bell announced that the paper will be reviewing its relationship with content partners like King Features, updating its policies for third-party content and explicitly identifying third-party content in its publications. The Chicago Sun-Times also removed the section from its e-paper version and confirmed that it would not charge subscribers who bought the premium edition.
"We are committed to making sure this never happens again. We know that there is work to be done to provide more answers and transparency around the production and publication of this section, and will share additional updates in the coming days," Bell said.
In another report for the Chicago Sun-Times, the freelance writer was identified as Marco Buscaglia, who confirmed that he used AI for this and other stories without disclosing it to supervisors or fully vetting the results.
King Features later added that it was "terminating" its relationship with Buscaglia, saying that he had violated strict policy regarding the use of AI.
In an additional statement to Fox News Digital on Wednesday, Chicago Public Media marketing director Victor Lim said, "Regarding Chicago Public Media's usage of generative AI, we are committed to producing journalism that is accurate, ethical, and deeply human. While GAI may assist with certain tasks—like summarizing documents or analyzing data—our editorial content will always be created and shaped by journalists."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Pittsburgh Steelers fans soak in the excitement at annual Friday Night Lights practice
The energy was electric when the Steelers showed up to Latrobe Memorial Stadium for their annual Friday Night practice under the lights. 'Just the atmosphere,' said Jason Stone of Uniontown, attending his third Friday Night Lights. 'The people the crowd, the noise, you can't get anything better than being here! Friday Night Lights!' Fans told Channel 11's Andrew Havranek they look forward to this practice all summer. They said there's just something special about seeing the pros up close, and getting their autographs. This year, a highly coveted autograph was that of the four-time NFL MVP Quarterback Aaron Rodgers. 'I've gotten Aaron Rodgers, [Spencer] Anderson, Pat Friermuth, that was awesome!' said Lexi Thurston of Chesterfield, Virginia. '[Rodgers is] an absolute legend like you can't get any better than that. It's like crazy it made me freak out, I didn't know what to do.' 'I'm hoping he leads us to the Super Bowl, obviously getting him that last one before he retires,' said Landon Thomas of Lancaster, Ohio. Before practice started Channel 11's Andrew Havranek caught up with fan who shares the Aaron Rodgers name. Of course, her first name is spelled a bit differently, but it's still caused her some hardships, especially after Rodgers and the Green Bay Packers beat the Steelers in Super Bowl XLV. 'Growing up I always got name like, all kinds of jokes about me, when I go into restaurants, everyone thinks I'm joking most of the time, they're like 'you're Erin Rodgers?'' she said. Now, she's just hoping that since Aaron Rodgers is in the black and gold, she won't be booed anymore. 'It makes it a lot better instead of it being kind of an exciting but also booing me it will be more an all around 100% good because now I can outwardly support him and not be shunned,' Rodgers said. And as for that Rodgers Packers jersey she owns? 'Are you going to be replacing that with a Steelers' Rodgers jersey?' Havranek asked. 'I am considering it,' Rodgers said. Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Former US soldier is suspected in Montana bar shooting that killed 4, prompting search
Montana Shooting A shooting at a Montana bar Friday left four people dead, and law enforcement officers were searching for a suspect described by his niece as a former U.S. soldier who struggled to get help for mental health problems. Officers searched a mountainous area west of the small town of Anaconda for the 45-year-old suspect, Michael Paul Brown. He lived next door to the site of the 10:30 a.m. shooting at the Owl Bar, according to public records and bar owner David Gwerder. The bartender and three patrons were killed, said Gwerder, who was not there at the time. He believed the four victims were the only ones present during the shooting, and was not aware of any prior conflicts between them and Brown. "He knew everybody that was in that bar. I guarantee you that,' Gwerder said. 'He didn't have any running dispute with any of them. I just think he snapped.' Brown's home was cleared by a SWAT team and he was last seen in the Stump Town area, just west of Anaconda, authorities said. More than a dozen officers from local and state police converged on that area, locking it down so no one was allowed in or out. A helicopter also hovered over a nearby mountainside as officers moved among the trees, said Randy Clark, a retired police officer who lives there. Brown was believed to be armed, the Montana Highway Patrol said in a statement. Brown served in the U.S. Army as an armor crewman from 2001 to 2005 and deployed to Iraq from early 2004 until March 2005, according to Lt. Col. Ruth Castro, an Army spokesperson. Brown was in the Montana National Guard from 2006 to March 2009, Castro said. He left military service in the rank of sergeant. His niece, Clare Boyle, told the AP on Friday that her uncle has been mentally sick for years and that she and other family members have tried repeatedly to seek help. 'This isn't just a drunk/high man going wild,' she wrote in a Facebook message. 'It's a sick man who doesn't know who he is sometimes and frequently doesn't know where or when he is either.' As reports of the shooting spread through town, business owners locked their doors and sheltered inside with customers. Anaconda is about 75 miles (120 kilometers) southeast of Missoula in a valley hemmed in by mountains. A town of about 9,000 people, it was founded by copper barons who profited off nearby mines in the late 1800s. A smelter stack that's no longer operational looms over the valley. The Montana Division of Criminal Investigation is leading the investigation into the shooting. The owner of the Firefly Café in Anaconda said she locked up her business at about 11 a.m. Friday after getting alerted to the shooting by a friend. 'We are Montana, so guns are not new to us," café owner Barbie Nelson said. 'For our town to be locked down, everybody's pretty rattled.'
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Columbia Sportswear sues Columbia University claiming merchandise is too similar and causes confusion
Columbia Sportswear is suing Columbia University, accusing the university of copyright infringement and breach of contract. The retailer claims the university's clothing and merchandise are too similar to its own offerings and that those similarities may confuse shoppers. The lawsuit was filed on July 23 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon. Columbia Sportswear has been using the name "Columbia" since 1938. The university and the retailer reportedly signed a deal in 2023 dictating the ways in which the university can use the word "Columbia" on its own apparel and merchandise. The pact stipulated that the university could use the name "Columbia" on merchandise so long as a school logo or mascot, the word "university", or an academic department of the founding year of the school — which dates back to 1754 — were present alongside the word. Columbia Sportswear claims in its lawsuit that the university breached those terms in 2024 when it allegedly began offering merchandise that used the name "Columbia" without any of the school signifiers established in the pact. The retailer also noted in the filing that the university was offering garments with bright blue colors that were "confusingly similar" to the blue used by Columbia Sportswear. 'The likelihood of deception, confusion, and mistake engendered by the university's misappropriation and misuse of the Columbia name is causing irreparable harm to the brand and goodwill symbolized by Columbia Sportswear's registered mark Columbia and the reputation for quality it embodies,' the lawsuit argues. Columbia Sportswear wants to stop all sales of the university's clothing that allegedly violate the 2023 agreement. It further wants a recall of all previously sold items and all the remaining stock to be donated to charity. The retailer is also seeking three times the amount of actual damages determined by a jury if its litigation is successful. The lawsuit comes at a time when Columbia University is preparing to pay a settlement of more than $220 million to the Trump administration in order to restore its federal research money that the president cancelled earlier this year. Under the settlement, the college will pay $200 million to the federal government over the next three years.
