Books on This Reading List Are Impossible to Find

Another entry in the annals of AI gaffes: A supplement in the Chicago Sun-Times recommended a list of 15 books to read over the summer. The problem? Ten of the books by big-name authors don't actually exist in the real world, reports Ars Technica. Instead, they are figments of the imagination of the artificial intelligence bot deployed by the staffer charged with creating the list. "I do use AI for background at times but always check out the material first," the staffer tells 404 Media. "This time, I did not and I can't believe I missed it because it's so obvious. ... I'm completely embarrassed."

• Example: The list recommends Tidewater by Isabel Allende, which it describes as a "multigenerational saga set in a coastal town where magical realism meets environmental activism. Allende's first climate fiction novel explores how one family confronts rising sea levels while uncovering long-buried secrets." Alas, Tidewater does not exist.

On Bluesky, the newspaper says it is investigating what happened. The supplement in which the list appeared is one put out by advertising department. Thus, "it is not editorial content and was not created by, or approved by, the Sun-Times newsroom," the newspaper says. (More artificial intelligence stories.)