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

The role of the critic isn’t to summarize or repackage art, but to actively participate in a conversation about it.

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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........

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