Newspaper publishes AI-created summer reading list of mostly nonexistent books

Artificial intelligence strikes again, this time forcing the Chicago Sun-Times to apologize for a humiliating reason.

While AI can be used successfully for a multitude of projects and tasks, one thing it isn’t renowned for is its factual accuracy. Ask the lawyers who were sanctioned after using ChatGPT to write a legal brief with fictitious citations.

The Chicago Sun-Times is learning this lesson the hard way after a summer reading list published by their outlet contained many books that just don’t exist. The section titled “Heat Index: Your Guide to the Best of Summer” lists 15 titles, “new and old,” which they claim “promise to deliver the perfect summer escape” for bookworms.

A major American newspaper, the Chicago Sun Times got caught posting AI slop into their physical publication.

The majority of the books listed below simply don’t exist! The chat bot made them up, and not a single human at @Suntimes caught that fact before going to print. pic.twitter.com/EigXKAsZ1O

— Lazarus Long (@LibertyLudens) May 20, 2025

The first author on the list, Isabel Allende, is an 82-year-old Chilean-American author who has recently published Mi nombre es Emilia del Valle (My Name Is Emilia del Valle) just this month. However, a search of all available titles by this author reveals that she has never written a book titled “Tidewater Dreams” as listed in the book guide.

In fact, it was discovered that all but five of the works were complete fabrications of AI, prompting an apology from the newspaper.

On Sunday, May 18, the print and e-paper editions of the Chicago Sun-Times included a special section titled the Heat Index: Your Guide to the Best of Summer, featuring a summer reading list that our circulation department licensed from a national content partner.

— Chicago Sun-Times (@Suntimes) May 20, 2025

“On Sunday, May 18, the print and e-paper editions of the Chicago Sun-Times included a special section titled the Heat Index: Your Guide to the Best of Summer, featuring a summer reading list that our circulation department licensed from a national content partner,” the outlet wrote on social media platforms.

We know that there is work to be done to provide more answers and transparency around the production and publication of this section. We promise to do our part in the coming days.

Read more in our public statement: https://t.co/HwTQgyfDap

— Chicago Sun-Times (@Suntimes) May 20, 2025

“The special section was syndicated to the Chicago Sun-Times and other newspapers. To our great disappointment, that list recommended books that do not exist. We are committed to making sure this never happens again,” they continued. “We know that there is work to be done to provide more answers and transparency around the production and publication of this section. We promise to do our part in the coming days.”

X users weren’t having it:

You’re acting like you were a passive victim. Let me help: You are incompetent. You a) literally asked AI to write a list of recommended summer books & b) NO ONE PROOFED the list. You need to hire competent people & stop using AI, or you’ll ‘write’ yourself out of jobs.

— EdSystemRebel (@toughdog18) May 21, 2025

When you go cheap, you get cheap. Disinvestment in your product is disinvestment in your audience. You got busted this time but remember when you lower the quality you lower your value so probably worth re-thinking the licensing of bland, cheap, easy content going forward.

— Michael Halston (@mikehalston) May 21, 2025

Did anyone even write this response? How many of your other articles are AI slop? Why should anyone trust anything you write in the future?

— Dr. Square101 (@square101) May 21, 2025

With all your writers (and ChatGPT, apparently), none of y’all could come up with a better and quicker explanation and apology?

— same handle on Bluesky (@westeawest) May 21, 2025

Sun-Times right now: pic.twitter.com/hGbwd5djPK

— Goat King (@GoatK_Thoughts) May 20, 2025

Writer/Columnist

Sierra Marlee is a millennial whose hunger for the truth in a world of fake news has led her to BizPac Review.

Latest posts by Sierra Marlee (see all)

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.