Leading Through Transparency
NewsDefused operates at the intersection of journalism and artificial intelligence. As one of the first news organizations to openly build on AI-powered content automation, we have both an opportunity and an obligation to set industry standards for responsible AI use in journalism.
This policy details exactly how we use AI, why we use it, what safeguards we maintain, and where human editorial judgment remains paramount.
The Defused.io Platform
Platform Overview
Defused.io is our proprietary newsroom automation suite, designed specifically for NewsDefused and built to support high-volume, high-quality technology news coverage. The platform operates as a decentralized automation system sitting remotely from our CMS infrastructure.
Core Capabilities:
- Automated discovery from curated sources daily
- AI-powered content generation using leading large language models
- Programmatic distribution across RSS aggregators and discovery feeds
- Automated SEO optimization and search engine notification
- Social media automation via dlvr.it and IFTTT integrations
- Robust quality control systems and editorial oversight
Why We Built This
Traditional newsrooms face a fundamental challenge: comprehensive coverage of fast-moving sectors requires resources in an industry gripped by disruption. Manually handling all sources, writing hundreds of stories weekly, and maintaining 24/7 coverage demands unsustainable human resources.
Our solution: augment human editorial judgment with AI-powered automation. Machines handle volume; humans handle nuance, judgment, and accountability.
AI Content Generation: The Complete Picture
Input Sources
We monitor authoritative technology, business, and cryptocurrency news sources.
Content Generation Process
Step 1: Source Material Selection
Automation identifies potentially newsworthy content candidates from monitored sources. Selection is based on topic relevance, source credibility, and timeliness.
Step 2: AI Processing
Selected articles processed through automation pipelines. Generation parameters prioritize factual accuracy and preservation of source claims. Clear attribution. Removal of opinion unless clearly attributed. Simplified language for accessibility. Key facts are extracted, verified, and understood in context.
Step 3: Quality Control
Our systems are held against rigorous quality thresholds. Our systems ensure proper source attribution, and a fingerprint records of origin source inputs are retained.
No fabricated quotes or facts. Technical accuracy is verified as much as possible.
Step 4: Human Review
All content production is observable and supervised. We strongly believe in the editor-in-the-loop methodologies. Human editors actively respond and take action according to the platform's embedded quality control systems.
The editorial team monitors system operations, ongoing system performance, and can undertake spot-checks at their discretion.
Step 5: Publication
Every piece of content published to newsdefused.com is a product of a human editor-in-the-loop system. AI-authored content is clearly labelled, with the byline: "Defused News Writer" (this is our AI attribution standard).
What Gets Generated vs. What Doesn't
AI-Assisted Content Suitable For:
- Straightforward news reporting of factual developments
- Product launches, funding announcements, company news
- Regulatory developments and policy changes
- Technical specification updates and release notes
- Market movements and cryptocurrency price developments
- Conference announcements and event coverage
Human-first Content:
- Original investigative reporting
- Opinion and editorial commentary
- Analysis requiring expert judgment
- Interviews and first-person reporting
- Complex narratives requiring context synthesis
- Coverage of controversial or contested issues
- Corrections and clarifications
- Reader responses and engagement
Bias Mitigation and Fairness
Language Neutrality
Our content generation parameters specifically instruct against editorializing or adding opinion not present in input material, the use of inflammatory or sensationalized language, making predictions or speculative claims, or inserting cultural or political bias.
Monitoring for Drift
- Continuous audits of generated content
- Source diversity analysis to ensure balanced inputs
- Reader feedback evaluation for perceived bias
- Continuous refinement of generation parameters
Human Intervention Points
When AI-generated content exhibits potential bias, human editors:
- Review the source material for inherent bias
- Adjust generation parameters if systematic issues detected
- Manually edit or rewrite problematic content
- Add context or counter-perspectives where appropriate
- Flag issues for platform improvement
Coverage of AI Companies: Managing Conflicts
NewsDefused, for example, may use OpenAI technology while also covering OpenAI as a news subject. We manage these potential conflicts.
Editorial Independence:
- Companies like OpenAI and Anthropic receive no preferential coverage
- Our coverage reflects the same standards applied to all companies
- Critical coverage of OpenAI and Anthropic proceeds without modification
- No editorial consultation with OpenAI or Anthropic on coverage decisions
Alternative Coverage:
- We actively cover competitors (xAI, Google, Meta, etc.)
- Comparative coverage includes OpenAI and Anthropic without favoritism
- Technology choices remain separate from editorial decisions
This same framework applies to all technology vendors we use: for example Ghost (CMS), Cloudflare (DNS), Railway (infrastructure), etc.
Data Privacy and User Information
What We Collect
NewsDefused collects minimal user data:
- Standard web analytics (page views, traffic sources, location data)
- Email addresses for newsletter subscribers
- Social media engagement metrics
What We Don't Do With Your Data
- We do NOT use reader data to train AI models
- We do NOT sell user information to third parties
- We do NOT use reading patterns to manipulate content
- We do NOT share data with AI technology providers beyond necessary operational use
AI Training Data
Our content generation uses platform APIs to communicate with LLM, and as of our last update, those external systems do NOT use API data for model training without explicit permission (which we have not granted). We monitor external AI company policies and will update readers if this changes.
Transparency in Practice
Content Attribution
- All AI-assisted content carries "Defused News Writer" byline
- Author page clearly explains Defused.io automation
- No attempt to disguise AI involvement in content production
Platform Disclosure
- This Technology & AI Policy provides a complete platform overview
- Implementation concept is shared openly
- Updates to our automation approach are disclosed promptly
Continuous Improvement
We actively solicit feedback on our AI usage:
- Reader concerns about AI-generated content addressed promptly
- Technical journalists invited to review our approach
- Industry best practices monitored and adopted
- Platform capabilities expanded in service of journalism, not technology novelty
Limitations and Boundaries
What AI Can't Replace
NewsDefused recognizes current fundamental limitations of AI in journalism. And, if automation fails, human editors intervene.
Future Evolution
AI technology evolves rapidly. NewsDefused commits to:
Transparency on Changes:
- Major platform updates disclosed to readers
- New AI capabilities evaluated for editorial appropriateness
- Technology changes evaluated against journalism standards
Industry Leadership:
- Sharing lessons learned with journalism community
- Contributing to industry discussions on AI ethics
- Participating in development of AI journalism standards
Reader-First Approach:
- Technology serves reader needs, not vice versa
- Automation justified by quality and value improvements
- Human editorial control remains paramount
Questions and Concerns
Issues with our AI usage, questions about our approach, or concerns about specific content should be directed to:
Editorial Inquiries: editorial@newsdefused.com
Technical Questions: platform@newsdefused.com
We respond to all substantive inquiries and take reader concerns seriously.
This Technology & AI Policy is part of NewsDefused's broader editorial standards framework. See also: Authenticity, Trust, Editorial Standards, Corrections.