Journalist and author Steven Rosenbaum plans to continue using artificial intelligence tools for his research, despite his new book,The Future of Truth: How AI Reshapes Reality, being found to contain what he now calls “a handful of improperly attributed or synthetic quotes.” A recentNew York Times investigation uncovered these issues, prompting a citation audit for future editions of the book.
The problematic quotes include statements tech reporter Kara Swisher reportedly “never said” and others attributed to Northeastern University professor Lisa Feldman Barrett that “don’t appear in [my] book, and they are also wrong.” Rosenbaum, who acknowledges he “learned a lesson” and will be “much more suspicious” of AI outputs, remains committed to integrating the technology into his workflow.
AI Integration and Fact-Checking Challenges
Rosenbaum told Ars he used AI tools primarily “to surface ideas, locate articles, summarize themes, identify people or papers I might want to look into.” He maintains that the “actual reporting, narrative structure, interviews, arguments, and conclusions in the book” are entirely his own, insisting AI never wrote the book itself.
He also noted that AI-generated information was tagged with a “this came from AI” warning in his notes before being passed to a fact-checker and two copy editors.
Of the 285 outside citations in the book, six have been identified as problematic by theTimes, including three “synthetic quotes” lacking any apparent source. Rosenbaum conceded that the double-checking process, while thorough, was “not a hundred percent” effective. This incident highlights a growing concern that traditional fact-checking methods may not adequately address AI-assisted research, especially as publishers increasingly cut editorial staff.
Publishers Need New Verification Workflows
He also noted that AI-generated information was tagged with a “this came from AI” warning in his notes before being passed to a fact-checker and two copy editors.
Rosenbaum suggests publishers will need “new verification workflows designed specifically for AI-era research.” These new processes, he said, should include mandatory source tracing for quotations, improved provenance tracking, clearer standards for AI-assisted research, and potentially AI tools to audit citations against primary materials. He stated he “didn’t set out to fabricate anything,” but rather encountered “AI-generated information that looked authoritative, and some of it made its way too far.”
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