This AI & Automation Policy explains how Pacific Ridge Digital Media Inc., the British Columbia corporation (BC Registry Services company number BC1487293) that owns and operates Kelowna Daily (kelownadaily.com), governs the use of artificial intelligence and automated tools in our editorial processes. Editor-in-Chief Catherine Roy retains ultimate responsibility for all editorial decisions, including those involving AI-assisted work, and ensures compliance with the standards described in our Editorial Policy and Fact-Checking Policy. This page supplements those policies and should be read alongside them.
Who is responsible for AI and automation use at Kelowna Daily?
Pacific Ridge Digital Media Inc., as the publisher, and Editor-in-Chief Catherine Roy are jointly responsible for the use of AI and automation in our newsroom. Andrew Leblanc, Standards & Fact-Checking Lead, oversees verification of any AI-assisted content to ensure it meets our accuracy and integrity standards.
All editorial staff members are trained on the appropriate use of AI tools and understand that these technologies are aids, not replacements for human judgment. Questions about this policy can be directed to Catherine Roy (catherine.roy@kelownadaily.com) or Andrew Leblanc (andrew.leblanc@kelownadaily.com). Additional details about our editorial structure are available on Our Team page.
How may AI tools support our journalistic work?
AI tools may assist with research, editing, formatting, translation, metadata generation, headline options, summaries, and transcription, but only under human editorial oversight. Every piece of published content is reviewed and approved by a human editor before it appears on our site.
For example, an AI tool might help a reporter gather public records or suggest alternative phrasing for a headline. The reporter and editor retain full authority over what is included, how it is framed, and whether to use the tool’s output. No automated system makes final editorial decisions. Our Managing Editor Marc Tremblay supervises the daily use of these tools in the newsroom.
What is strictly prohibited when using AI?
AI must never fabricate quotes, sources, interviews, bylines, author experience, or expert profiles. No AI-generated content is published without human approval, and AI tools cannot replace named bylines or editorial review.
We also prohibit the use of AI to generate original reporting without verification, to create misleading or deceptive representations of events, or to produce content that could misinform readers. Any violation of these prohibitions is treated as a serious breach of our Fact-Checking Policy and may result in corrective action, including retraction or public correction.
How do we ensure transparency about AI-assisted content?
We disclose the use of AI tools in article metadata or editor notes when appropriate, and we maintain a public log of any significant changes to our AI policies. Readers who have questions about how a specific piece was produced can contact our newsroom directly.
Sponsored or commercial content that involves AI assistance is labelled accordingly, and affiliate links are disclosed in compliance with our Advertising & Affiliate Disclosure policy. For general inquiries about our practices, please reach out via our Contact page or email info@kelownadaily.com.
Our commitments
- Every piece of editorial content is reviewed by a human editor before publication, regardless of whether AI tools were used in its preparation.
- AI tools never fabricate quotes, sources, interviews, bylines, author experience, or expert profiles, and any such output is rejected immediately.
- All AI-assisted research and drafting is subject to the same fact-checking standards as traditional reporting, under the supervision of Andrew Leblanc.
- The editorial team retains full control over all content decisions, with commercial relationships never influencing editorial conclusions or AI tool selection.
- Readers can report concerns about AI-generated content to our Standards & Fact-Checking Lead for investigation, and we will respond publicly if a correction is necessary.