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The New York Times drops freelance journalist who used AI to write book review

Writer and author Alex Preston said he “made a serious mistake” after a reader spotted similarities between his review and one that appeared in the Guardian

The New York Times drops freelance journalist who used AI to write book review

TL;DR

  • The New York Times terminated a freelance journalist, Alex Preston, for using AI in a book review.
  • A reader noticed similarities between Preston's review and one previously published in The Guardian.
  • Preston admitted to using an AI tool that integrated content from The Guardian's review into his draft.
  • The New York Times added an editor's note to the review, citing the violation of standards.
  • Preston will no longer write for the publication, though he claims he did not use AI for other articles.