The Riverwalk Report uses AI to help cover more of Naperville, Illinois than a small newsroom could read on its own. This page says what the AI does, what people do, and how you can tell which stories it touched.
What AI does
We use AI tools to help us read public records, such as city meeting documents and payment records, and to write first drafts of some stories from them.
What people do
Nothing an AI drafts is published automatically. Every draft goes to an editor, who reviews it and decides whether it runs. The editor is responsible for everything we publish, however it was drafted.
How stories are labeled
A story that began as an AI draft carries this line under its byline: "This story was drafted with AI from public records and reviewed by an editor before publication." Those stories also list the documents they were written from, so you can check our work.
If we get it wrong
We correct mistakes promptly and say so at the top of the story, whoever or whatever made them. If you see an error, email tips@theriverwalkreport.com.