TradeWireUK.uk employs digital tools and automation to support our editorial team in producing accurate, timely and well-structured journalism. These technologies are used strictly as aids to human judgment, never as a replacement for it. This policy sets out how we use such tools, the safeguards we apply, and the absolute limits we place on their use.
How digital tools support our work
Our editorial team may use digital tools for the following purposes:
- Research and data organisation: Tools can help aggregate publicly available data, identify trends in financial filings or economic releases, and organise large datasets for analysis by our reporters and editors.
- Editing and formatting: Software may assist with grammar, spelling, consistency of style, and the formatting of articles for different platforms or devices.
- Translation: Automated translation tools may be used to provide a preliminary understanding of foreign-language sources or press releases. Any material used from such translations is verified against the original language by a human editor before publication.
- Metadata and headlines: Tools may suggest headline variations, search-engine-optimised metadata, or summary options. Final headline and metadata decisions are made by a human editor.
- Summaries and content review: Automated summarisation may be used internally to help editors quickly assess the key points of long documents or transcripts. Published summaries are written or reviewed by a human.
The human guarantee
All published editorial content on TradeWireUK.uk is reviewed by a human editor before publication. This includes news articles, market explainers, company coverage, profiles, analysis, opinion pieces and consumer-money features. No article, correction, or update is published without a named editor having read and approved the final version. Our Editorial Policy and Fact-Checking Policy set out the standards that every piece of content must meet.
Strict prohibitions
We impose the following absolute rules on the use of digital tools and automation:
- No fabricated content: AI must never fabricate quotes, sources, interviews, bylines, author experience, expert profiles, false staff or credentials, or invented figures. Any content generated or suggested by a tool must be verified against primary sources.
- Source verification: Any claim or data point produced with the assistance of digital tools must be checked against the original sources listed in our Sources & Standards directory. We do not rely on a tool’s internal knowledge base for factual assertions.
- No mass-produced low-value content: We do not use automation to generate large volumes of low-quality or repetitive articles designed to manipulate search rankings or generate advertising revenue. Every article must serve a genuine editorial purpose for our readers.
- AI-generated images: Where an image has been wholly or substantially generated by artificial intelligence, it will be clearly labelled as such in the caption or adjacent metadata. We do not use AI to create realistic images of named individuals or events.
Disclosure
Where digital editing tools have been used in the preparation of an article, we may include a disclosure at the foot of the piece. The standard wording is: “This article was prepared with the support of digital editing tools and reviewed by a human editor before publication.” This disclosure is used proportionately and does not imply that the article is less rigorously edited than any other.
Accountability and oversight
Our Editor-in-Chief, Edward Marsh, oversees the application of this policy. Any editor or reporter who has questions about the appropriate use of a digital tool should consult the Standards & Fact-Checking Lead, Helen Travers. Concerns about potential misuse of automation should be raised via our Contact page or directly to the editorial team at editorial@tradewireuk.uk.
This policy is reviewed regularly as technology evolves. It should be read alongside our Editorial Policy, Fact-Checking Policy, and information about Our Team.