The Chicago Sun-Times newspaper is receiving major backlash after it printed an AI-generated “summer reading list for 2025” Sunday that promoted several nonexistent book titles.
While the reading list did recommend some real titles, like “Call Me By Your Name” by André Aciman, it also suggested readers dive into books such as “Tidewater,” a nonexistent book by real-life author Isabel Allende. The reading list described the book as a “multigenerational saga set in a coastal town where magical realism meets environmental activism.”
Five out of the list’s 15 recommended books were real, according to NPR.
“I do use AI for background at times but always check out the material first,” the list’s author, Marco Buscaglia, told independent tech news site 404 Media. “This time, I did not and I can’t believe I missed it because it’s so obvious. No excuses.”
“I assume I’ll be getting calls all day. I already am,” said Buscaglia, who is not a Sun-Times employee. “This is just idiotic of me, really embarrassed. When I found it [online], it was almost surreal to see.”
