AI Disclosure

THE DEEP FILES
Investigations • Documents • Evidence

Last Updated: 23 September 2026

1. Our Approach to Artificial Intelligence

THE DEEP FILES uses artificial intelligence as a supporting editorial and research technology.

AI may assist our work, but it does not replace human investigation, editorial judgment, source evaluation, evidence assessment, or responsibility for publication.

Our guiding principle is simple:

AI may assist the process. Humans remain responsible for the journalism.

2. How We May Use AI

Artificial intelligence tools may be used to assist with tasks including:

Improving language, grammar, clarity, and readability;
Editing and restructuring text;
Translation;
Transcription;
Summarization of research materials;
Organizing large volumes of information;
Identifying issues requiring further investigation;
Comparing documents or statements;
Structuring timelines;
Supporting open-source research;
Categorizing evidence and source material;
Preparing research questions;
Assisting with data analysis;
Identifying potential inconsistencies for human review; and
Supporting general editorial workflow.

The use of AI for these purposes does not mean that AI-generated output is accepted as fact.

3. AI Is Not an Evidentiary Source

THE DEEP FILES does not treat an AI system’s response as evidence merely because the system generated it.

Where factual claims are material to an investigation, we seek to establish them through appropriate sources such as original documents, official records, court documents, regulatory materials, corporate filings, scientific publications, direct correspondence, interviews, recordings, public databases, or other independently assessable evidence.

AI output may identify something worth investigating.

It does not, by itself, prove that the underlying claim is true.

4. Human Editorial Responsibility

Final editorial responsibility remains with THE DEEP FILES.

Human review may include:

Evaluating sources;
Reviewing documents;
Assessing context;
Checking factual claims;
Distinguishing allegations from established facts;
Evaluating conflicting evidence;
Seeking responses from relevant parties;
Determining whether information is sufficiently supported for publication; and
Making final publication, correction, clarification, and update decisions.

AI systems do not independently determine whom THE DEEP FILES investigates, whether allegations are true, whether an individual or organization committed wrongdoing, or whether material should be published.

5. AI Can Make Mistakes

Artificial intelligence systems can generate inaccurate, incomplete, misleading, outdated, or fabricated information.

They may also misunderstand context, incorrectly connect unrelated information, mischaracterize documents, or present uncertain information with inappropriate confidence.

For this reason, THE DEEP FILES does not assume that AI-generated information is reliable simply because it appears detailed, coherent, or authoritative.

Material factual assertions intended for publication should be independently assessed against appropriate evidence.

6. Investigations Involving AI Systems

THE DEEP FILES may also investigate artificial intelligence systems themselves.

In such cases, outputs generated by the system under investigation may constitute primary material concerning the behavior of that particular system during a documented interaction.

Where appropriate, we may preserve:

Original conversations;
Screenshots;
Screen recordings;
Prompts and responses;
Dates and timestamps;
Relevant system information;
Reproduction attempts; and
Other supporting records.

An AI system’s output in such an investigation is evidence of what the system produced under the documented circumstances. It does not automatically establish broader conclusions about every version, user, deployment, or interaction involving that system.

7. AI-Assisted Research

AI may assist researchers in locating patterns, contradictions, relationships, timelines, or questions within large bodies of information.

Any potentially significant finding identified through AI-assisted analysis should be examined against the underlying material before being treated as an established fact.

Where an original source is available, the original source—not the AI summary—should form the evidentiary basis of the reporting.

8. AI-Assisted Writing and Language Improvement

THE DEEP FILES may use AI to improve the linguistic or expressive quality of articles, investigations, correspondence, reports, and other editorial materials.

This may include grammar correction, translation, restructuring, clarity improvements, or stylistic refinement.

Such assistance does not transfer editorial authorship, responsibility, or accountability to the AI provider.

The underlying investigation, evidence, editorial decisions, and responsibility for publication remain with THE DEEP FILES.

9. Translation

AI-assisted translation may be used when working with multilingual documents, correspondence, interviews, or source material.

Where the precise wording of a document is materially important, THE DEEP FILES may consult the original-language material and, where appropriate, seek additional linguistic verification.

Translations should not automatically be considered authoritative substitutes for original documents.

10. Confidential and Sensitive Information

THE DEEP FILES recognizes that investigative journalism may involve confidential sources, unpublished evidence, personal information, legally sensitive material, or other restricted information.

We seek to avoid unnecessarily submitting confidential or sensitive information to external AI services.

The use of AI tools does not override our responsibilities concerning source protection, privacy, confidentiality, security, or applicable law.

11. Automated Publication

THE DEEP FILES does not regard fully automated publication without appropriate editorial oversight as equivalent to verified journalism.

AI-generated drafts, summaries, research observations, or analytical suggestions may require human assessment before publication.

The level of review may depend on the nature, sensitivity, and potential consequences of the material.

12. Images, Audio and Video

Where generative AI is materially used to create or substantially alter an image, audio recording, video, or other media in a manner that could reasonably affect how the audience understands the content, THE DEEP FILES may provide appropriate disclosure or labeling.

AI-generated illustrative material should not be presented as authentic documentary evidence of an event that did not occur.

Routine technical adjustments that do not materially change the meaning of authentic source material may be treated differently.

13. Individual Article Disclosure

Where appropriate, articles may include a shorter disclosure such as:

AI Disclosure: Artificial intelligence tools were used to assist with language, organization, research, or editorial processing. The underlying evidence, factual verification, editorial assessment, and publication decisions remain subject to human review by THE DEEP FILES.

Where AI played a more substantial role, the disclosure may be expanded to explain the nature of that assistance.

14. Corrections

If AI-assisted processing contributes to a material factual error that reaches publication, the fact that artificial intelligence was involved does not remove THE DEEP FILES’ editorial responsibility.

Material errors may be corrected, clarified, or updated in accordance with our editorial practices.

15. Independence From AI Providers

Use of an artificial intelligence product or service does not constitute endorsement of its provider.

Likewise, the use of a particular AI service does not give that provider editorial control over THE DEEP FILES.

AI providers are not responsible for THE DEEP FILES’ editorial conclusions unless explicitly stated otherwise.

16. Transparency Principle

THE DEEP FILES seeks to use artificial intelligence in a manner consistent with transparency, evidence-based journalism, human accountability, and editorial independence.

Our fundamental distinction is:

AI assistance is not evidence.
AI output is not automatic fact.
AI capability is not editorial authority.
Final editorial responsibility remains human.

17. Contact

Questions concerning our use of artificial intelligence may be directed to:

THE DEEP FILES
The Hague, Netherlands

Email: contact@thedeepfiles.com
Website: thedeepfiles.com