These guidelines were created to support responsible and ethical use of AI technology by ensuring that all ABS-CBN INCA personnel use AI systems and platforms in a way that is consistent with our journalistic values and mission, complies with company policies and applicable laws, protects company’s intellectual property and proprietary information, safeguards the integrity and credibility of ABS-CBN news organization and promotes the safety and well-being of all personnel.

This document serves as an initial framework for the responsible and ethical use of AI technologies and as AI advances, these guidelines will be reviewed and revised on a regular basis to reflect emerging technologies, legal requirements and regulatory changes, and current industry best practices.

1. The use of AI systems must conform to all applicable laws and regulations, particularly those governing data protection, privacy, information security and intellectual property. Users should ensure that the AI tool and its use comply with the relevant laws and legal standards and fulfills our ethical principles.


2. To minimize the risk of errors and misuse, only utilize AI tools that have been shown to be technically reliable and secure, having passed the assessment of the AI Task Force.¹

1. Strategic Intent of AI Tools
   

   The decision to implement AI must be mission-driven in that it will help support our goals and align with our journalistic values; and purpose-driven, such that it will be able to provide end-users and audiences with tangible benefits. The usage of AI should be grounded on the actual task or problem for which the tool is intended to solve.

   1. Improve productivity and efficiency and free up our journalists to allow them to focus on high priority duties by reducing or eliminating tedious tasks from the routine reporting process.
   
   
   2. Streamline news workflows by automating newsroom tasks and assisting in various aspects of work including writing, analysis, etc. This includes use of AI to reduce, if not eliminate errors.
   
   
   3. Enhance the quality of our content and make it relevant and appealing for our target audience e.g. visual support for illustrative purposes such as conception or rendering of what a scene looked like.


2. Responsible Use of AI
   
   
   1. Ethical and Editorial Guidelines on the use of Artificial Intelligence

      The principles and guidelines in the ABS-CBN INCA Standards and Ethics Manual, and in the Social Media Guidelines Handbook apply to the use of AI by ABS-CBN journalists and all INCA personnel.

      The core values of journalism -- Accuracy, Independence, Impartiality, Transparency and Accountability, and Minimizing Harm—must be upheld in the application of AI.

      The main role of journalists is to seek truth and report it, and to provide significant and useful information to the public. We will use AI as a tool in the performance of this role.

      We consider AI as a tool that will help ABS-CBN INCA practice and produce excellent journalism.

      The absolute rule: we are responsible and accountable for the content we write, produce, broadcast, post and publish.

      
      
      1. Accuracy
         
         
         • We will follow the strict verification process in journalism and not automatically trust content generated by AI.
         
         

         Generative AI produces content scraped and culled from the internet, historical data, and other data sources. Most of the time, AI does not cite and provide sources of these data. So, it is difficult to verify such information. It continues to be the job of the ABS-CBN journalist to ensure that data and information used are accurate, properly sourced and cleared for airing and publishing on the relevant platform.

         Even if AI cites sources, the ABS-CBN journalist must go to the original source and verify its content. If data from these sources are used, the ABS-CBN journalist must secure consent to use the content and must provide proper attribution and citation.

         Generative AI is also not immune to false information and misinformation. The ABS-CBN journalist must always be skeptical about AI-produced content.

         • We will not use AI to alter or manipulate video, image, and journalistic photos so that they present inaccurate or false images and context.
         
         
         • We will guard against plagiarism and infringement of intellectual property of third parties. The ABS-CBN journalist will not use AI to write text, script, articles, and stories and claim ownership of these journalistic works.
      
      
      
      2. Impartiality and Independence
         
         
         • The ABS-CBN journalist and anyone involved in the news process must guard against the potential of AI to propagate biases, discrimination, racism and misinformation.
         
         
         • We must remember that ethical reporting means minimizing harm to our audience and to the public. The ABS-CBN journalist will not use AI-generated content that will violate this ethical guideline.
         
         
         • The journalist must guard against use of AI where it fails to provide diverse perspectives in content and issues.

         Generative AI knows only what it feeds on—whether on the internet or from our own data. The ABS-CBN journalist must check if vital perspectives are considered and if diverse positions are properly presented in the story or content we produce.

         • We will not rely on AI for context, story angle and vital viewpoints in our content and stories.
         
         
         • We will not let AI think, analyze and discern for the ABS-CBN journalist.
      
      
      
      3. Transparency and Accountability
         
         
         • We will be open and transparent in the use of AI. We will state the use of AI in part or in whole in the production of content, material, and story where the use of AI impacts the content, material, or story.

         Acknowledging use of AI, where it impacts the content or story, may be done in- text, through editorial note, or through captions in cases of non-photorealistic images for illustrative purposes.

         • In cases where the published or aired content or material is wholly created by AI, we will disclose this and the AI tool used.

         An example of this would be AI-created animation, augmented reality video and digital visualizations.

         • We report and correct mistakes committed through use of AI.
         
         
      4. Authenticity, originality and creativity
         
         
         • We promote and protect original works. We will not allow AI to write articles, scripts, and stories for publication, posting and broadcast.

         Journalistic works are composed of multiple factors that make it unique and original. Aside from facts and analysis, these factors include actual human experience, empathy, personal style and human insights. These cannot be created by AI.

         We produce quality content that aside from following the core principles of journalism, contains original and authentic style of production and storytelling that connects to our audience.

         • We will not use AI to recreate the image or voice of the ABS-CBN journalist, ABS- CBN news readers, our news sources, or any person. An exemption would be if AI recreation is used for the purpose of demonstrating the use of AI and if a disclosure is stated. The subject-person of AI recreation must also give consent.
         
         
         • We will not use AI-generated data or content that violates copyright laws, intellectual property rights and original ownership that includes but not limited to User-Generated Content (UGC) such as artworks, photos, videos, music.
         
         
         • It is difficult to check the originality and authenticity of AI-generated material and content. If the ABS-CBN journalist cannot verify the content and the legality of using it, then do not use it.
      
      
      5. Privacy, Confidentiality and Adherence to the Law
         
         
         • We will not upload internal data and information on publicly available external AI platforms without approval by the AI Task Force.
         
         
         • We will not feed confidential information, unpublished materials on publicly available external AI platforms.
         
         
         • We will adhere to the Data Privacy Act and other existing laws and regulations in our use of AI (see more details in Sec. 5: Compliance with the Law and Company Policies).
         
         
      6. Editorial Responsibility and Human Oversight
         
         
         • We uphold human intervention and supervision by editorial gatekeepers in the newsroom. These editorial gatekeepers include the INCA Head, Platform Heads, Desk Editors, INCA Executive Producers and Digital Deputy Editors.
         
         
         • No content, story or material that use AI may be published, aired or broadcast nor released to the public without editorial oversight and approval by the editorial gatekeepers.
         
         
         • Journalists and news workers involved in the writing and production of a story and content that use AI are responsible and accountable for the produced content.
         
         

Considering AI developments, we need to be retrained to adapt to the evolving need of the media industry. Artificial intelligence must become an integral part of any personnel's training and continuous education particularly those responsible for AI decisions and those engaging with the AI Tools.

These guidelines are preliminary and may change over time as technology and industry best practices evolve, as will our understanding of the risk factors associated with AI use. It is important to continue reviewing these guidelines and make necessary revisions through the joint effort and participation of all ABS-CBN INCA personnel.