The use of generative AI at WUWM

We do not use AI to generate news stories, make editorial decisions or replace human judgement. Our journalistic ethics and standards remain rooted in independent reporting, fact-checking and editorial integrity — all done and verified by humans.

At WUWM, we view generative artificial intelligence (AI) as a potential tool in the service of our work and to advance our mission. Every aspect of our work is guided by our seven core organizational values of trust, respect, inclusivity, creativity, collaboration, integrity, and care for community, and the journalistic principles outlined our ethics handbook, including how we explore and use emerging technologies like AI.

Why this matters

Our listening community and audiences place deep trust in us to provide fact-based, thoughtfully reported news and storytelling that reflects the experiences and perspectives of the people of Southeast Wisconsin.

The recent advances in AI offer a myriad of tools and possibilities to help us be more efficient at our work, and possibly better journalists and content producers, but it can’t replicate the core functions of human storytelling: listening, witnessing, contextual processing, fact-checking and reporting.

As we experiment with AI tools to enhance our workflows or explore new forms of engagement, we want to be clear about how we do so, and why.

However, we may use generative AI tools in limited ways to:

Brainstorm ideas or organize information during early drafts of non-editorial content
Support behind-the-scenes tasks such as recording and summarizing meetings
Improve the accessibility of our content, such as automated transcripts and language translation
Explore creative applications that might expand or enhance our storytelling or engagement capacity, always under human editorial guidance.

Human oversight and accountability

Every piece of content broadcast or published by WUWM undergoes stringent human editorial review. We remain committed to transparency and accountability, and any future experimentation involving AI-generated content will be disclosed clearly to our audience.

For example, there may be some occasions where AI is used in the creation of a non-journalistic content product. In this circumstance, it will be clearly noted with a designation, such as a co-byline or another form of disclosure, indicating the person on our team who is responsible and accountable for that content.

Have questions?

We want to hear from you. If you have questions, concerns, or ideas about our use of AI, reach out at wuwm@uwm.edu.