Business Insider Recommended Nonexistent Books To Staff As It Leans Into AI - Slashdot
Jun 02, 2025 - news.slashdot.org
Business Insider is encouraging its staff to integrate AI into their journalism practices, despite a recent mishap involving AI-generated content. Less than a year ago, the company had to apologize to staff after recommending books that appeared to be non-existent and possibly generated by AI. This incident occurred when a senior editor circulated a list of "Beacon Books," which included both well-known business titles and some unfamiliar ones that could not be found, such as a supposed memoir by former Target CEO Gregg Steinhafel and a book on Nvidia's founder Jensen Huang.
The list aimed to familiarize staff with influential business literature, but the inclusion of potentially AI-generated titles highlighted the challenges of relying on AI for content recommendations. This situation underscores the need for careful vetting of AI-generated content, even as Business Insider seeks to leverage AI to enhance its journalistic efforts.
Key takeaways:
Business Insider is encouraging its staff to integrate AI into journalism.
Previously, Business Insider had to apologize for recommending non-existent books potentially generated by AI.
The list of recommended books included well-known titles alongside unfamiliar ones.
Some recommended books, like those by Gregg Steinhafel and about Jensen Huang, could not be found.
