How Open Chronicle uses artificial intelligence responsibly, transparently and in support of independent journalism.
Last updated: September 2026
Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing journalism, research, publishing and the way people discover information. Open Chronicle believes these technologies can provide valuable tools for journalists, editors, researchers and creators, but their use must never come at the expense of accuracy, transparency, independence or editorial responsibility.
Open Chronicle may use artificial intelligence as part of its editorial, research, technical and creative workflows. AI is a tool within the publishing process. It is not a substitute for editorial responsibility.
Our guiding principle is simple:
AI may assist Open Chronicle, but editorial responsibility remains human.
Our Principles
Open Chronicle approaches artificial intelligence according to the same fundamental standards that guide the rest of our publishing work: accuracy, independence, transparency, accountability and respect for our readers.
We believe artificial intelligence should enhance the ability of journalists, editors and researchers to understand and communicate complex subjects. It should not weaken the standards expected of responsible publishing.
The use of AI does not change our responsibility for the material that appears under the Open Chronicle name.
We remain accountable for what we publish.
AI in Editorial Work
Artificial intelligence tools may be used to assist different stages of the Open Chronicle editorial process.
This can include supporting preliminary research, identifying questions for further investigation, organizing information, analysing large amounts of material, assisting with translations, improving language and structure, generating summaries for internal use, developing editorial concepts and helping editors explore complex subjects.
AI may also assist with technical tasks associated with publishing, data processing, coding, interactive tools, information organization and the development of new ways for readers to explore knowledge.
The use of an AI system during the production process does not automatically mean that the resulting publication is AI generated.
Modern editorial work involves many digital tools. What matters is how those tools are used and whether the final publication meets Open Chronicle’s editorial standards.
Human Editorial Responsibility
Editorial responsibility cannot be delegated to an algorithm.
Artificial intelligence may contribute to the production process, but Open Chronicle remains responsible for what it publishes.
Editors and contributors are expected to exercise judgment over material produced or assisted by artificial intelligence. Information that is important to the accuracy of an article should be checked against appropriate sources before publication.
AI generated output should not be treated as an authoritative source simply because it appears confident or detailed.
Artificial intelligence systems can make mistakes, misunderstand context, reproduce inaccuracies and generate information that appears plausible but is false.
For that reason, AI output must be approached critically.
The final responsibility for publication rests with Open Chronicle, not with the technology used during its preparation.
Accuracy and Verification
The use of artificial intelligence does not lower our standards for factual accuracy.
Where appropriate, important factual claims should be checked against reliable primary sources, official information, reputable reporting, academic research or other credible evidence.
Artificial intelligence must not be used as justification for publishing information that cannot otherwise be substantiated.
Open Chronicle will not knowingly publish fabricated quotations, invented sources or fictional evidence as factual journalism.
When an AI system provides information that cannot be independently verified, that information should not be presented as established fact.
The greater the potential consequences of an error, the greater the level of verification expected.
Sources and Attribution
Artificial intelligence is not a replacement for sourcing.
Where an article depends on external reporting, documents, research, official statements or other identifiable sources, those sources should be appropriately represented according to the editorial format of the publication.
AI systems may assist researchers in locating or understanding information, but they must not be relied upon to invent citations or reconstruct sources that have not been verified.
Quotations attributed to real people must originate from verifiable material.
Open Chronicle will not knowingly create fictional quotations and attribute them to real individuals.
AI Generated Images and Visual Material
Open Chronicle may use artificial intelligence to create illustrations, conceptual images and other visual material.
AI generated imagery can provide valuable ways of illustrating historical subjects, scientific concepts, hypothetical scenarios and stories for which appropriate photography may not exist.
However, synthetic imagery also creates a responsibility to avoid misleading readers.
When Open Chronicle publishes an editorial image created using artificial intelligence, we seek to identify its artificial origin visibly so readers can distinguish generated imagery from conventional documentary photography.
AI generated images should not be presented in a way that intentionally causes readers to believe that a fictional scene is an authentic photograph of an event.
Where an image represents a reconstruction, interpretation or imagined scene, its context should not contradict the factual record of the subject it illustrates.
Photography, Evidence and Documentary Reality
Open Chronicle recognizes an important distinction between illustration and evidence.
Artificially generated images must not be used as photographic evidence that an event occurred.
Images representing wars, disasters, demonstrations, crimes, political events or other consequential real world situations require particular care.
Where documentary authenticity is important to understanding a story, genuine photographs, video, documents, satellite imagery or other verifiable material should be clearly distinguished from synthetic illustrations.
The ability to generate realistic images does not remove the obligation to preserve that distinction.
Translation and International Editions
Artificial intelligence and automated translation technologies may assist Open Chronicle in making information accessible across languages.
Translation tools can improve speed and accessibility, but automated translation can introduce errors, lose cultural context or alter meaning.
Open Chronicle therefore distinguishes between automated translation services provided for reader convenience and editorial content specifically prepared for an Open Chronicle international edition.
Our international editions represent editorial publishing environments. Automatic translation is a technological accessibility service and should not be interpreted as equivalent to independently edited local language coverage.
AI and Original Reporting
Artificial intelligence cannot witness an event.
It cannot independently attend a press conference, conduct a physical investigation, observe conditions on the ground or replace testimony from people who experienced an event.
Open Chronicle will not present AI generated material as eyewitness reporting.
Where journalism depends on direct observation, interviews, documents or original investigation, the distinction between those sources and AI assisted analysis should be preserved.
Technology can help journalists understand evidence. It cannot become the evidence simply by generating an answer.
Analysis, Research and Knowledge Projects
Open Chronicle publishes material extending beyond daily news, including history, science, strategic analysis, explanatory journalism, cultural coverage, reference material and educational projects.
Artificial intelligence can be particularly useful in these environments for organizing complex information, comparing ideas, exploring datasets and assisting researchers with large bodies of material.
The same principles still apply.
AI generated conclusions should be evaluated critically. Historical claims should be supported by evidence. Scientific information should reflect credible research. Strategic analysis should distinguish established facts from interpretation, uncertainty and assessment.
Artificial intelligence may expand the tools available to researchers. It does not eliminate the need for intellectual discipline.
AI in Interactive Tools
Open Chronicle may develop calculators, simulators, research tools, analytical utilities and other interactive services that use algorithms or artificial intelligence.
Where appropriate, such tools should explain their purpose and limitations.
Outputs produced by analytical or predictive tools should not automatically be interpreted as facts, professional advice or guaranteed outcomes.
Models simplify reality. Their usefulness depends on the assumptions, information and methodology behind them.
Readers should be able to understand when they are interacting with a model rather than receiving a definitive statement about the world.
What We Will Not Do
Open Chronicle will not knowingly use artificial intelligence to fabricate evidence, invent sources, manufacture quotations attributed to real people or create false eyewitness accounts.
We will not intentionally present synthetic imagery as authentic documentary photography.
We will not use AI as an excuse to abandon verification or editorial judgment.
We will not assume that information produced by an artificial intelligence system is accurate merely because the system presents it confidently.
We will not delegate responsibility for published material to an algorithm.
Corrections and Accountability
AI assisted content is subject to the same responsibility for corrections as other Open Chronicle material.
If a significant factual error is identified, it should be assessed and corrected according to our editorial standards regardless of whether the error originated from a human contributor, an external source, software or an artificial intelligence system.
The use of technology does not diminish accountability.
If anything, increasingly powerful technologies require stronger editorial awareness of how errors can be introduced and amplified.
Transparency
Open Chronicle believes readers should be able to understand the nature of the material they are viewing.
Not every routine use of software or artificial intelligence requires a disclosure. Using technology to improve grammar, organize research or assist an internal workflow is different from publishing synthetic material that could materially affect a reader’s understanding of a story.
Where the role of artificial intelligence is significant to understanding the nature, origin or credibility of published material, Open Chronicle should provide appropriate transparency.
Our objective is meaningful disclosure rather than disclosure for its own sake.
An Evolving Technology
Artificial intelligence is developing rapidly.
Capabilities that appear experimental today may become ordinary publishing tools tomorrow. New technologies will also create risks and ethical questions that cannot all be anticipated in advance.
For that reason, this policy will evolve.
Open Chronicle will review its approach as artificial intelligence, journalism and publishing practices change.
New tools will be evaluated not simply according to what they can do, but according to whether their use is consistent with the values of the publication.
Our Commitment
Open Chronicle believes technological innovation and responsible journalism can coexist.
Artificial intelligence can help researchers explore information, help editors work more effectively, help readers access knowledge and create entirely new forms of digital publishing.
But technology does not replace the principles on which credible publishing depends.
Accuracy matters. Sources matter. Context matters. Transparency matters. Human judgment matters.
Artificial intelligence may change the tools available to journalism.
It does not change our responsibility to our readers.
Technology changes. Our responsibility does not.
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