...
India Abroad
Our Use of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism
Guidance and policies on using AI in our work
At India Abroad, we believe that responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) can support better journalism, but it should never replace it.
Our journalists remain responsible for the accuracy, fairness and integrity of everything we produce and publish. Here is how we use AI in our work and the principles we follow to use it responsibly.
1. Human-First, Human-Preferred
Our journalists remain responsible for everything we produce and publish.
We use AI as a tool to assist our journalism, not as a substitute for journalistic judgment, reporting or editorial responsibility.
Any information, text or other material generated with the help of AI is reviewed and verified by a journalist before publication where appropriate.
AI-generated content is not treated as an independent source of information. Journalists are responsible for checking facts against original documents, credible sources and other reliable information before using them in our journalism.
Where AI-generated material is used directly in a story or other published content, we will consider whether disclosure is appropriate based on the nature and significance of its use.
2. Why and How We Use AI
We may use AI to assist with a range of journalistic and production tasks, including:
• Summarizing information for research and internal use
• Transcribing interviews, recordings and other audio
• Translating content
• Organizing notes and information
• Identifying patterns in large datasets
• Generating headline and search-engine optimization (SEO) ideas
• Assisting with social media and other promotional copy
• Copyediting for grammar, spelling, punctuation and clarity
• Supporting research and brainstorming
AI-assisted research does not replace original reporting. Information provided by an AI tool must be checked against the original source before it is used in published journalism.
If AI plays a significant role in creating a story, feature, visual or other audience-facing content, we will be transparent about how and why it was used when that information is relevant to our audience's understanding of the content.
3. Your Data, Your Trust
We take the privacy and security of information seriously when using AI tools.
We do not knowingly enter confidential, private or sensitive information into public or unapproved AI tools.
This includes information such as:
• Confidential source identities
• Private contact information
• Unpublished investigative material
• Passwords or login credentials
• Private legal or financial information
• Personal information obtained in confidence
• Sensitive internal documents or communications
As a general rule, if information should not be publicly shared, it should not be entered into a public AI chatbot or other unapproved AI tool.
We also take care when using AI tools for journalism involving sensitive subjects or vulnerable individuals. Protecting sources, personal information and the integrity of unpublished reporting remains a journalistic responsibility.
4. AI in Audience-Facing Products
When AI is used to shape or support an audience's experience — for example, by summarizing content, powering a chatbot, recommending stories or assisting with other audience-facing features — we aim to ensure that these tools are tested for accuracy, fairness and reliability.
Human oversight remains important in the development and use of such tools.
Where appropriate, AI-driven features may include safeguards that allow them to be reviewed, corrected, bypassed or turned off if they produce inaccurate, misleading or inappropriate results.
Our goal is to use AI to help audiences discover and understand information without compromising accuracy, independence or trust.
5. AI in Visual Journalism
Images shape how we understand the world. We therefore use AI-generated and AI-assisted visuals carefully and transparently.
AI may be used to create illustrations or visual representations of concepts, situations or events that cannot otherwise be photographed, provided the resulting image is not presented as a real photograph.
We will never present an AI-generated image as an authentic news photograph.
We do not use AI to fabricate or materially alter real people, events or situations in a way that could mislead our audience.
This means we do not use AI to:
• Create fake photographs of real events
• Make a real person appear to say or do something they did not
• Add or remove people from documentary images in a misleading way
• Fabricate protests, disasters, crimes, political events or other news events
• Create misleading evidence or representations of real-world events
Reasonable technical adjustments to photographs, such as resizing, sharpening or basic exposure correction, may be used where they preserve the original reality of the image.
AI-generated illustrations will be clearly identified when their use could otherwise be mistaken for a real photograph.
Where significant AI assistance is used in creating an audience-facing visual, we will provide appropriate context about how and why the visual was created.
Our Guiding Principle
Artificial intelligence can help us work more efficiently, explore information and support our journalism.
But AI does not replace reporting, verification or editorial judgment.
At India Abroad, the journalist remains responsible for the journalism.
Our commitment is simple: use AI responsibly, verify what matters, protect people's information and never allow technology to compromise the trust of our audience.
