---
type: Article
title: "AI Slop: If the NYT Can't Catch It, You Won't Either"
description: "AI slop just hit the New York Times — a reporter quoted words a politician never said because an AI tool summarized it wrong. Three checks for every retailer."
resource: https://amyfaychandler.com/ai-hallucinations-retail-three-checks/
tags: [ai-hallucinations-retail-three-checks]
---

[Retail Tidbit](https://amyfaychandler.com/category/morning-retail-tidbit/)

# If the NYT Can’t Catch AI Slop, You Won’t Either

	By[AmyFay Chandler](https://wordpress-1600709-6279960.cloudwaysapps.com)
						May 11, 2026July 31, 2026

The New York Times issued a correction over the weekend. As [Simon Willison](https://simonwillison.net/2026/May/10/new-york-times-editors-note/) flagged on Saturday, a Times reporter had quoted Canadian Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre calling someone “turncoats.” He never said it. An AI tool summarized his views, used “turncoats” in the summary, and the reporter treated the summary as a verbatim quote. The editors’ note: “The reporter should have checked the accuracy of what the A.I. tool returned.”

If the most-edited paper in the world can fall for that, your part-time staffer running ChatGPT in the back room on a Saturday afternoon will fall for it too. Right now, somewhere in your store, AI is writing things on your behalf — product descriptions, customer reply emails, social captions, holiday card copy, vendor outreach. Most of it is fine. Some of it is making things up that sound real.

AI doesn’t lie. It invents things that sound true. That’s worse, because nothing reads wrong.

Three checks before anything AI-assisted goes live:

1. Verify every date, number, and proper name. “Family-owned since 1978” should match your actual founding year. Hand-stitched in Italy should mean Italy. AI guesses these constantly and confidently.

2. Never let AI invent a quote. If a product description says a customer “raved” about a candle, that customer must exist and must have said it. If it’s real, attribute it. If it isn’t, cut it.

3. Read it all out loud to yourself before publishing anything. Hallucinations look smooth on the page. Hearing the words is what catches them.

It’s really easy to make this mistake. The Times made it. Just take the extra few minutes to get things right — your human review counts.

xoxo,
❤️ AmyFay

What’s happening in the world. What it means for your store.
Monday through Thursday, from AmyFay Chandler. More in [Friday Retail Tidbits](https://amyfaychandler.com/category/friday-retail-tidbits/), every Friday morning.

[Subscribe to Morning Retail Tidbit →](https://amyfaychandler.com/subscribe/)

		[AmyFay Chandler](https://amyfaychandler.com/author/amyfay/)

I’m AmyFay Chandler, a Knoxville-based wholesale sales rep serving independent retailers in Tennessee and Kentucky through Tango Showroom. I also represent Sweet Tree Jewelry and Caroline B Cook nationwide. Before I became a rep, I built two T-shirt lines, ran my own retail business, bought home and gift for Elder’s Ace Hardware, and worked with Werner Frank. I have been the maker, buyer, retailer, rep, and person at the register, so I evaluate every line from the store floor first.

I write the Morning Retail Tidbit and [Friday Retail Tidbits](https://amyfaychandler.com/category/friday-retail-tidbits/) to help local retailers buy smarter, merchandise with intention, and keep their stores valuable.

## You Might Also Like

								- Retail Tidbit

### Anthropic turned down $200 million. I keep thinking about why.

	ByAmyFay Chandler
						April 13, 2026July 31, 2026

		Anthropic walked away from a $200 million government contract to protect what they built. The best independent retailers make the same kind of call every season. Plus: USPS rates jump 8% on April 26 and shipping costs aren’t coming down soon.

				Read More Anthropic turned down $200 million. I keep thinking about why.Continue
- Retail Tidbit

### 72 Million People Are About to Drive Past Your Door

	ByAmyFay Chandler
						June 25, 2026July 31, 2026

		A record 72.2 million Americans are traveling for July 4th, and 85% are driving. Here’s how to catch the ones passing your store.

				Read More 72 Million People Are About to Drive Past Your DoorContinue
- Retail Tidbit

### Two Dates Every Store Owner Needs This Month

	ByAmyFay Chandler
						April 14, 2026July 31, 2026

		The U.S. Navy began blockading the Strait of Hormuz yesterday — 13 warships, no ships in or out of Iranian ports. Twenty percent of the world’s oil moves through that strait. Gas is already up 38% since this conflict started, diesel is above $5.80, and shipping costs are climbing across the board — FedEx and…

				Read More Two Dates Every Store Owner Needs This MonthContinue
- Retail Tidbit

### First Implies Second

	ByAmyFay Chandler
						April 22, 2026July 31, 202