Inference is a publication about AI, and we think it would be strange (and a little dishonest) not to be transparent about how we ourselves use AI tools. This page explains exactly where and how, without vague reassurance language.

Where we use AI in our editorial process

Drafting assistance: AI tools are sometimes used to help produce first drafts or research summaries, which are then reviewed, fact-checked, edited, and taken responsibility for by a named human editor before publication.

Copyediting support: AI tools assist with grammar, style consistency, and readability suggestions, applied the same way a human copyeditor's suggestions are applied. Reviewed and accepted or rejected by an editor, not auto-published.

Research organization: AI tools help organize and summarize source material during the research phase of reporting. Any factual claim that makes it into a published article is independently verified against its original source before publication, per our Editorial Standards.

Where we do not use AI without clear labeling

We do not publish AI-generated content presenting invented facts about real, named companies or individuals as if they were verified reporting. Where content is illustrative, composite, or demonstrates a coverage format rather than reporting a specific real, verified event, it is labeled clearly and visibly at the top of the piece, not buried in fine print. See our Editorial Standards for the full detail on how and why we use that labeling.

Featured images

Featured images across the site are specified per-article as one of three types: an editorial photography brief (a description used to source or commission a real photograph of a genuine setting, not a specific fabricated event), an AI image-generation prompt (for abstract compositions, never used to fabricate a photorealistic depiction of a real person or a real unannounced product), or a typographic card (text-only, used specifically for illustrative sample content to visually distinguish it). We do not use AI-generated images designed to look like authentic photographs of real people or real specific events.

AI Tools review methodology

Our AI Tools coverage evaluates tools based on hands-on testing against realistic tasks, described in full in our guide to choosing AI tools. Where a specific review is illustrative sample content demonstrating our review format rather than a completed real-world test, that's disclosed directly in the piece.

Affiliate relationships

Some AI Tools reviews include affiliate links, meaning Inference may earn a commission if you purchase a tool through a link in an article. This is disclosed automatically via a disclosure block at the top of every article tagged as a tool review. Affiliate relationships do not influence which tools we choose to cover or what we say about them. See our Editorial Standards for our editorial independence commitment.

Sponsored content

Sponsored posts are produced by or with the sponsor, not by Inference's editorial team, and are clearly labeled with a sponsored-content banner and disclosure statement, both above the headline and within the piece. Sponsored content is never mixed into our algorithmically driven News, Blog, or AI Tools sections without that labeling.

Updates to this page

This page is reviewed regularly and updated as our use of AI tools evolves. The "last reviewed" date above reflects the most recent review.