A New York Times critic used AI to write a review, but good criticism can’t be outsourced

An author and freelance journalist has admitted to using AI to help him write a book review for The New York Times. Alex Preston’s review of Jean-Baptiste Andrea’s novel Watching Over Her, published by The New York Times in January 2026, draws phrases and full paragraphs from Christobel Kent’s review in The Guardian. The “error” was brought to light by a reader, who alerted The New York Times to the similarities. Preston told The Guardian he is “hugely embarassed” and “made a huge mistake.” The Times promptly dropped Preston, calling his “reliance on A. I.