NYT fires Alex Preston after AI caused plagiarism in review
The New York Times has let go of freelance writer Alex Preston after he used AI to help write a book review, something the paper says goes against its standards.
The issue came up when a reader spotted that Preston's January 2026 review of Watching Over Her looked a lot like an earlier Guardian piece.
Preston admitted to using AI, which led to unintentional plagiarism.
News industry faces AI integrity questions
An NYT spokesperson said, We take these matters very seriously and are committed to upholding the integrity of our journalism.
While Preston's past reviews were clear, this incident has sparked bigger questions about how much AI is creeping into journalism.
Other outlets are dealing with similar problems: Ars Technica recently fired a reporter for using AI quotes, and studies suggest opinion pieces might be especially affected.
All this points to the need for tighter rules as AI becomes more common in media.