---
title: "The New York Times drops freelance journalist who used AI to write book review"
slug: "the-new-york-times-drops-freelance-journalist-who-used-ai-to-write-book-review"
date: 2026-03-31
category: tech-pub
tags: []
language: en
sources_count: 1
featured: false
publisher: AInauten News
url: https://news.ainauten.com/en/story/the-new-york-times-drops-freelance-journalist-who-used-ai-to-write-book-review
---

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

**Published**: 2026-03-31 | **Category**: tech-pub | **Sources**: 1

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## TL;DR

- The New York Times has cut ties with freelance contributor Alex Preston after discovering he used AI to help write a book review.

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## Summary

- The New York Times has cut ties with freelance contributor Alex Preston after discovering he used AI to help write a book review.
- A reader flagged similarities between Preston's NYT review of 'Watching Over Her' (January 2026) and a Guardian review of the same book by Christobel Kent (August 2025).
- Preston publicly admitted he 'made a serious mistake.'
- The NYT confirmed the split, citing undisclosed AI-generated content as a violation of editorial standards.

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## Why it matters

The New York Times has cut ties with freelance contributor Alex Preston after discovering he used AI to help write a book review.

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## Key Points

- The New York Times has cut ties with freelance contributor Alex Preston after discovering he used AI to help write a book review.
- A reader flagged similarities between Preston's NYT review of 'Watching Over Her' (January 2026) and a Guardian review of the same book by Christobel Kent (August 2025).
- Preston publicly admitted he 'made a serious mistake.'
- The NYT confirmed the split, citing undisclosed AI-generated content as a violation of editorial standards.

---

## Nauti's Take

Using AI to ghost-write a book review and not disclosing it is not a grey area – it is simply not doing the job. Preston is not an isolated case but the first prominent casualty of a problem quietly festering across newsrooms worldwide. Publishers urgently need clear, public policies on AI use rather than handling individual cases behind closed doors. Until that happens, more heads will roll.

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## FAQ

**Q:** What is The New York Times drops freelance journalist who used AI to write book review about?

**A:** - The New York Times has cut ties with freelance contributor Alex Preston after discovering he used AI to help write a book review.

**Q:** Why does it matter?

**A:** The New York Times has cut ties with freelance contributor Alex Preston after discovering he used AI to help write a book review.

**Q:** What are the key takeaways?

**A:** The New York Times has cut ties with freelance contributor Alex Preston after discovering he used AI to help write a book review.. A reader flagged similarities between Preston's NYT review of 'Watching Over Her' (January 2026) and a Guardian review of the same book by Christobel Kent (August 2025).. Preston publicly admitted he 'made a serious mistake.'

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## Related Topics

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## Sources

- [The New York Times drops freelance journalist who used AI to write book review](https://www.theguardian.com/books/2026/mar/31/the-new-york-times-drops-freelance-journalist-who-used-ai-to-write-book-review) - The Guardian AI

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## About This Article

This article is a synthesis of 1 sources, curated and summarized by AInauten News. We aggregate AI news from trusted sources and provide bilingual (German/English) coverage.

**Publisher**: [AInauten](https://www.ainauten.com) | **Site**: [news.ainauten.com](https://news.ainauten.com)

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*Last Updated: 2026-03-31*