How LAist Leverages Artificial Intelligence

(Updated April 2026)

LAist is dedicated to providing Los Angeles with reliable news and information. As artificial intelligence tools become integrated into our news processes, we aim to be transparent about how we use these tools, the boundaries we set, and who is responsible for our published content.

This document outlines our principles for using AI across all LAist platforms, including our digital and audio journalism, newsletters, social media, and the audience-facing tools we develop. It is a dynamic document that will be updated as technology evolves and we learn from our experiences.

Our Principles

1. Accountability
Every piece of content published by LAist is the responsibility of our journalists. When an AI tool is utilized, it is first reviewed by a human, who remains accountable for maintaining the editorial standards of our journalism.

2. Verification
We consider AI-generated content as unverified until validated. Since AI can make errors and may incorporate biases from its training data, any use of AI in our journalism relies on original reporting. We confirm facts through trusted sources, just as we always have.

3. Human Voice and Judgment
Our journalists shape the essence of LAist through their unique reporting, writing, editing, and editorial decisions. AI is not a substitute for our reporters, editors, or the relationships they foster within the communities they serve. We do not employ AI to produce entire stories or to mimic the voice of journalists or any individual.

4. Transparency
When AI significantly contributes to our content, we disclose this information. For instance, in investigations involving AI’s analysis of extensive data sets, we maintain transparency regarding its use and ensure that conclusions are verified through human scrutiny. Products relying on AI will be clearly labeled so that you can distinguish between AI-generated and original content.

5. Privacy and Protection of Sources, Audience, and Members
LAist staff refrain from entering sensitive source material, unpublished reports, or any private information about our members and donors into publicly available AI tools. We utilize secure, approved platforms for handling sensitive information. Audience interactions with AI-powered tools are governed by the same data protection standards that apply to all our products, including relevant privacy regulations.

6. Serving Los Angeles
Public media fundamentally aims to provide universal access. Where AI can enhance our ability to serve a broader audience—through translation services or improved accessibility—we will proceed carefully, ensuring human review and clear disclosure. Our commitment is to tools that genuinely benefit our audience, rather than simply saving us time.

What AI Won’t Do at LAist

Our commitments are clear. We will not:

• Publish entire articles produced solely by AI.
• Use AI to imitate the voice of any LAist journalist, host, or individual.
• Mislead our audience by circulating AI-generated images that may be mistaken for original photography or visual reporting. Any such image will be properly labeled.
• Mislead our audience by employing AI to create representations of real, identifiable individuals, locations, or events in our reporting. Again, AI-generated images will be clearly identified.
• Publish AI-assisted content without thorough review from a LAist editor.
• Enter sensitive sources or private audience and donor information into public AI tools.

These commitments outline our current standards and principles. While AI technology may evolve, our core dedication to human-driven journalism and transparency remains steadfast.

Current Uses of AI

We are adopting a cautious and hands-on approach. Our current applications of AI fall into several categories:

• Internal newsroom support. We utilize approved tools for tasks like generating accessible alt text for images, enhancing editorial coaching, and facilitating research workflows. Any material produced with AI assistance is vetted by a journalist prior to public release.
• Translation. We are experimenting with AI-assisted translation on a limited scale to make some reporting accessible in languages other than English. Whenever we use AI for translation, it is disclosed within the content, ensuring readers understand its context while adhering to the responsibility we have towards the communities we serve.
• Audience-facing tools. As we create interactive tools that utilize AI—such as resources for navigating civic information—we will clearly label these, providing context regarding their functions and limitations, always grounding them in our original reporting when possible.
• Behind the scenes. Our product, marketing, fundraising, and operations teams may employ AI tools for tasks such as drafting internal communications, analyzing audience data, refining fundraising messages, or developing software. The same standards for accuracy, privacy, and human review apply across all departments at LAist.

Oversight

LAist manages an internal AI working group that reviews new AI tools and their applications before they are adopted. This group assesses them for accuracy and bias, and continuously updates our internal guidelines to reflect advancements in technology and our understanding of it. These public principles encapsulate the values that guide this group.

Our Journalism and AI Training

LAist’s reporting is the product of extensive human effort and is protected by copyright. We retain the right to regulate how and whether third-party AI companies may utilize our journalism for training their models, making decisions consistent with our mission and our obligation to the journalists involved in this work.

We Want Your Feedback

We recognize that the discussions surrounding AI in journalism are ongoing, and perspectives within our audience and newsroom vary. We welcome your feedback on these principles or on the role of AI in our work. Please reach out to us here.

This document was last updated on April 24, 2026, and we anticipate making regular revisions.