AI Guidelines for Editorial Content

Our staff and student interns should never use generative AI tools as the sole means to create publishable content. Any output from these tools should be treated as other unvetted source material such as that found on Wikipedia or Google searches.

AI prompts can be used to help consider questions and context for a story, to focus on keywords and topics to explore further, and to better refine the original source material you have created. Clearly explaining how a generative AI tool was used for any story and discussing that with editors is required.

ChatGPT and similar AI-powered language models can be used to help optimize and synthesize content for social media posts, using the tool to find high-performing hashtags, for example. They can be utilized for enhancing our SEO efforts, such as creating stronger URLs, and assessing readability in order to make content more accessible.

Staff and student interns who are taking photos or video will never use AI to add elements that were not in the original materials. The use of Photoshop and other Adobe products to enhance the quality of images and video, as we’ve been doing, will continue.

Ideas for photo essays that deploy AI images should be discussed and approved in advance to determine if they fit our guidelines. Any and all content using AI-produced imagery must be clearly identified as such.

Generative AI makes it even easier for people to intentionally spread mis- and disinformation through altered words, photos, video, or audio, including content that may have no signs of alteration, appearing realistic and authentic. To avoid using such content inadvertently, staff and student interns should exercise the same caution and skepticism they would normally.

Note: The Communications and Marketing Office uses the Associated Press (AP) Stylebook as its primary style reference for College materials, both print and digital. These AI guidelines are based on the AP’s own published standards.