At The Open Notebook, we only publish original work done by humans. We do not produce, accept, or publish any editorial content generated or edited by AI. That includes pitches, drafts, and revisions of our editorial resources; headlines; story translations and summaries; and images and image captions. We also do not permit our contributors or editors to enter any confidential information, such as interview transcripts, into generative AI tools.
We allow the use of non-generative functions within AI tools for limited purposes in the editorial process, such as interview transcription or grammar checking. Some of our contributors may choose to use generative AI for limited purposes, such as to orient themselves to their subject or to brainstorm. We urge them to do so sparingly and with extreme caution. This includes verifying output with primary sources and being mindful about the ethical and environmental costs of generative AI.
We acknowledge that generative AI is a fast-changing technology and its potential uses in journalism may evolve over time. As such, we consider our policy to be a living document that will be revisited as needed.
(Updated 08/06/26)