Ask the Chatbot Games & Quizzes History & Society Science & Tech Biographies Animals & Nature Geography & Travel Arts & Culture ProCon Money Videos
AI-Generated Summer Reading List Features Fake Books
Table of Contents
References & Edit History Related Topics
Images
Author Taylor Jenkins Reid
Read Next
Grade school students working at computers in a school library. Study learn girl child class technology
The Future of Information and Education
Motion Abstract background binary code ,futuristic Design Abstract Wave line Infinite Loop for Business science and Technology, articiial intelligence, algorithm
Pro and Con: Artificial Intelligence
Abstract vector hi speed internet technology background
History of Technology Timeline
Discover
Scolex (head) of the tapeworm Taenia solium. The hooks of the scolex enable the tapeworm to attach to the intestinal wall.
Uninvited Guests: The 7 Worst Parasitic Worms
San Francisco, California/USA-1/18/20: Womens March at Civic Center marching with signs of political protest regarding equality also embracing 2020 presidential candidates and celebrating equality
How Does the U.S. Government Define the Difference Between a Protest and a Riot?
Time zone map with standard time zones and International Date Line
Why Are Some Time Zones 30 Minutes Off Instead of an Hour?
Paul Revere. "The bloody massacre perpetrated in King Street Boston on March 5th 1770 by a party of the 29th Regt.," engraved by Paul Revere. Boston Massacre.
There’s a Riot Goin’ On: Riots in U.S. History (Part One)
Lake Mead (the impounded Colorado River) at the Hoover Dam. The light-coloured band of rock above the shoreline shows the decrease in water level in the first few years of the 21st century.
6 Lakes That Are Drying Up
Demystified - Do Lemmings Really Commit Mass Suicide? illustration
Do Lemmings Really Commit Mass Suicide?
New York NY/ USA- November 23, 2018 Hordes of shoppers throng the Macy's Herald Square flagship store in New York looking for bargains on the day after Thanksgiving, Black Friday.
Why Is It Called Black Friday?
Author Taylor Jenkins Reid
Author Taylor Jenkins Reid Reid was featured on an AI-generated book list.

AI-Generated Summer Reading List Features Fake Books

ProCon headline
print Print
Please select which sections you would like to print:
verifiedCite
While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions.
Select Citation Style
Feedback
Corrections? Updates? Omissions? Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login).
Thank you for your feedback

Our editors will review what you’ve submitted and determine whether to revise the article.

External Websites
Written and fact-checked by
The Editors of ProCon
ProCon's editors write and verify new content and update existing content. ProCon presents the pro and con arguments to debatable issues in a straightforward, nonpartisan, freely accessible way.
The Editors of ProCon
Last Updated: • Article History

ProCon Debate: Is Artificial Intelligence Good for Society?

ProCon Issue in the News: In May 2025 several U.S. newspapers, including the Chicago Sun-Times and The Philadelphia Inquirer, published an AI-generated summer reading list that featured 10 fake books.

Writer Marco Buscaglia claimed responsibility for the list, which was licensed for use by King Features, a media distribution company, and purchased by the newspapers that printed the list. He told Snopes:

I did screw up and it was generated by AI and it’s something that I absolutely usually check and verify, but for some reason I didn’t this time and I feel incredibly stupid and embarrassed about that.

Ten of the 15 books were fabrications linked to authors such as Isabel Allende, Percival Everett, and Andy Weir. The descriptions of the fake books were fairly believable. The list stated that Taylor Jenkins Reid “continues her exploration of fame” (as Reid does in her real books, including Daisy Jones and the Six), while Delia Owens “blends science with a coming-of-age narrative” (as Owens does in her real book Where the Crawdads Sing). Adding to the perceived authenticity of the fake books, the AI generator correctly matched authors to novels they have actually written. For example, Rebecca Makkai did write The Great Believers, which is referenced in the description for the fake book Boiling Point.

Victor Lim, marketing director for Chicago Public Media, the Chicago Sun-Times’s parent company, said it is investigating how the list made it into print:

This is licensed content that was not created by, or approved by, the Sun-Times newsroom, but it is unacceptable for any content we provide to our readers to be inaccurate. We value our readers’ trust in our reporting and take this very seriously. More info will be provided soon as we investigate.

King Features said it has “a strict policy with our staff, cartoonists, columnists, and freelance writers against the use of AI to create content.”

The remaining five books on the list do exist: Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury, Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter, Bonjour Tristesse by Françoise Sagan, Call Me by Your Name by André Aciman, and Atonement by Ian McEwan.

Discussion Questions

  1. Consider what critical thinking skills you should employ when reading in the age of AI. How do you make sure the information you’re reading is accurate?
  2. Make your own 2025 summer reading list with real books. Then use an AI chatbot to make a list. Compare the two.
  3. Read the ProCon debate about AI. Is AI good for society? Why or why not?

Sources

  • Elizabeth Blair, “How an AI-Generated Summer Reading List Got Published in Major Newspapers” (May 20, 2025), npr.org
  • Grace Deng, “Yes, Chicago Sun-Times Published AI-Generated ‘Summer Reading List’ with Books That Don’t Exist” (May 20, 2025), snopes.com
  • Talya Minsberg, “A.I.-Generated Reading List in Chicago Sun-Times Recommends Nonexistent Books” (May 21, 2025), nytimes.com