Last reviewed: 29 August 2026
Digital tools may assist our publishing workflow, but people remain accountable for every item Pub & Social publishes. We do not treat generated output as a verified source.
How technology may assist us
We may use artificial intelligence and other software for transcription, research organisation, headline options, summarising source notes, spelling and grammar support, data classification, accessibility assistance, image clean-up and routine workflow automation.
Human editorial responsibility
An editor or responsible contributor reviews publishable work for accuracy, fairness, context, copyright, privacy and tone. Material facts, quotations and attributions must be checked against suitable evidence. Technology does not remove our duty to correct mistakes.
Uses we do not allow
- Inventing quotations, interviews, eyewitness accounts or sources.
- Publishing unverified allegations as fact.
- Creating deceptive images, audio or video of real people or events.
- Uploading confidential, private or embargoed material to an unapproved public system.
- Using technology to plagiarise, evade attribution or misrepresent authorship.
- Automatically publishing high-risk material without appropriate human review.
Disclosure
Routine assistive use does not normally need an article label. We disclose material use when synthetic content is central to an item, when an image or recording could be mistaken for a real event, or when the method would materially affect reader trust.
Images, audio and video
Illustrative or synthetic media should be labelled when a reasonable person could otherwise believe it documents a real person, place or event. We do not use generated media to fabricate evidence or place a real person in a false situation.
Privacy and confidential information
Staff and contributors should not enter personal, confidential, commercially sensitive or legally restricted information into a tool unless its use is approved and appropriate safeguards are in place.
Copyright and attribution
AI assistance does not excuse copying. We check source rights, attribute distinctive reporting and avoid prompts or outputs intended to imitate a living creator deceptively or reproduce protected work unlawfully.
Bias, safety and quality
Generated systems can reproduce bias, omit context and sound confident when wrong. We review outputs proportionately, seek diverse and authoritative sources and apply extra care to allegations, vulnerable people, health, law, finance and public safety.
Corrections and review
AI-assisted work follows the same Editorial Standards and Corrections & Updates Policy as other content. We review this policy as tools and industry standards change.
Contact us
Questions or concerns about technology used in our content can be sent to hello@pubsocial.co.uk.