# 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** has cut ties with a freelance journalist after discovering he used artificial intelligence to help write a book review that echoed elements of a review of the same book in the **Guardian**.
It came after a reader flagged similarities between the paper’s January review of *Watching Over Her* by Jean-Baptiste Andrea, written by author and journalist **Alex Preston**, and an August review of the same book written by **Christobel Kent** in the Guardian.
### The Investigation
The New York Times launched an investigation, during which Preston admitted that he had used AI to assist writing the review and did not spot the sections that were pulled from the Guardian before submitting it. In a statement on Tuesday, Preston said:
> “I am hugely embarrassed and made a serious mistake.”
### Violation of Standards
The New York Times added an editor’s note to the review acknowledging the use of AI and linking to the Guardian piece. The note states:
* “A reader recently alerted the Times that this review included language and details similar to those in a review of the same book published in the Guardian.”
* “We spoke to the author… who told us he used an AI tool that incorporated material from the Guardian review into his draft, which he failed to identify and remove.”
* “His reliance on AI and his use of unattributed work by another writer are a clear violation of the Times’s standards.”
### Examples of Plagiarism
Language that appears to be lifted from the Guardian review includes:
* **Character descriptions:** “lazy Machiavellian Stefano” in the Guardian appears as “lazy, Machiavellian Stefano” in the NYT.
* **Concluding assessment:** The Guardian described the book as a “song of love to a country of contradictions… an Italy where life is costume and the performance of art.” The NYT version called it a “love song to a country of contradictions… an Italy where life is performance, where circuses rise on wasteland.”
### Consequences
A spokesperson for the New York Times confirmed that **Preston would no longer write for the paper**. While Preston has written six reviews for the paper since 2021, he maintains he did not use AI for any other articles.
Preston, a six-time author and head of advisory at Man Group, has also written for the *Observer*, *FT*, and *The Economist*. Ironically, earlier this year, he authored a piece titled *The AI Bubble: Hidden Risks and Opportunities*.
TrickyChildhood2917 on
I thought Stephen Miller worked in the WH. Is he double dipping
vensie on
Heartbreaking: The Worst Person You Know Just Got Fired From The New York Times For Using AI
chainsawx72 on
Imagine getting fucking paid to review movies, but still saying nah that’s too much work I’ll get AI to do it.
Darwin343 on
The New York Times just lets anyone write for them these days huh.
5 Comments
# 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** has cut ties with a freelance journalist after discovering he used artificial intelligence to help write a book review that echoed elements of a review of the same book in the **Guardian**.
It came after a reader flagged similarities between the paper’s January review of *Watching Over Her* by Jean-Baptiste Andrea, written by author and journalist **Alex Preston**, and an August review of the same book written by **Christobel Kent** in the Guardian.
### The Investigation
The New York Times launched an investigation, during which Preston admitted that he had used AI to assist writing the review and did not spot the sections that were pulled from the Guardian before submitting it. In a statement on Tuesday, Preston said:
> “I am hugely embarrassed and made a serious mistake.”
### Violation of Standards
The New York Times added an editor’s note to the review acknowledging the use of AI and linking to the Guardian piece. The note states:
* “A reader recently alerted the Times that this review included language and details similar to those in a review of the same book published in the Guardian.”
* “We spoke to the author… who told us he used an AI tool that incorporated material from the Guardian review into his draft, which he failed to identify and remove.”
* “His reliance on AI and his use of unattributed work by another writer are a clear violation of the Times’s standards.”
### Examples of Plagiarism
Language that appears to be lifted from the Guardian review includes:
* **Character descriptions:** “lazy Machiavellian Stefano” in the Guardian appears as “lazy, Machiavellian Stefano” in the NYT.
* **Concluding assessment:** The Guardian described the book as a “song of love to a country of contradictions… an Italy where life is costume and the performance of art.” The NYT version called it a “love song to a country of contradictions… an Italy where life is performance, where circuses rise on wasteland.”
### Consequences
A spokesperson for the New York Times confirmed that **Preston would no longer write for the paper**. While Preston has written six reviews for the paper since 2021, he maintains he did not use AI for any other articles.
Preston, a six-time author and head of advisory at Man Group, has also written for the *Observer*, *FT*, and *The Economist*. Ironically, earlier this year, he authored a piece titled *The AI Bubble: Hidden Risks and Opportunities*.
I thought Stephen Miller worked in the WH. Is he double dipping
Heartbreaking: The Worst Person You Know Just Got Fired From The New York Times For Using AI
Imagine getting fucking paid to review movies, but still saying nah that’s too much work I’ll get AI to do it.
The New York Times just lets anyone write for them these days huh.