The Fourth Plate acknowledges and embraces the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in modern journalism and creative writing. As a platform amplifying voices from the Global South, we recognise that English—the language we primarily publish in—is a colonial inheritance. If AI writing tools can help bridge linguistic barriers and enable more people to tell their stories with confidence, we see this as a positive and progressive development.
Our editorial focus remains on authentic storytelling, not on policing the tools used to express it. We believe that AI-assisted writing can empower individuals who might otherwise be excluded from global conversations. In particular, these tools can support:
- Writers working in languages other than their mother tongue
- Storytellers preserving oral histories and traditional knowledge
- Community voices seeking to reach wider audiences
- Writers with different abilities or learning styles
However, we uphold firm principles around ethical AI usage in journalism and content creation. We expect:
- Transparency about significant AI involvement in story development
- Original research and lived experience as the foundation of all published work
- Rigorous fact-checking and human verification of AI-generated information
- Respect for copyright, attribution, and intellectual property
We do not shame or prohibit the use of AI tools. Instead, we regard them as potentially liberating technologies—extensions of human creativity that can democratise storytelling across borders and languages.
After all, if colonial languages have been imposed upon us, why shouldn’t we use every available tool—including those developed by former colonisers—to narrate our own realities more effectively?
Ultimately, our editorial evaluation focuses on the story’s merit: its cultural significance, emotional truth, and contribution to the wider discourse on food, agriculture, and climate. Whether written entirely by humans or developed with AI assistance, what matters is the authenticity of the experience and the integrity of its presentation.