This site is committed to transparency about how artificial intelligence tools are used in the creation and maintenance of this site. The following policy outlines our approach across three areas: written content, images and media, and technical development.
Written Content
All written content on this site originates from a human author. AI is not used to generate articles, opinion pieces, or commentary from whole cloth.
We do use AI tools in the following supporting roles:
Proofreading and grammar. AI may be used to review drafts for spelling, grammar, and clarity. This represents the most common use of AI in our editorial process.
Research synthesis and fact-checking. Downtown development involves complex information — zoning codes, project timelines, public meeting dates, regulatory requirements, and more. AI tools help us consolidate research notes against publicly available materials, verify dates and facts, and distill technical details into accessible language. This is a tool for accuracy and readability, not a substitute for the author’s own research and perspective.
Drafting assistance. For some posts, particularly those that pull together many sources and details, AI may be used to produce an initial draft from the author’s own notes, research, and reporting. This helps structure a large amount of material into a coherent starting point. The author then works through that draft over multiple passes — editing for voice, correcting facts, reshaping the argument, and revising until the final product is theirs. The research and reporting behind the piece are always the author’s own work; AI helps get it from a pile of notes to a readable first draft.
In all cases, a human author has the final word on published content. Every piece is reviewed to ensure it reflects the author’s voice, perspective, and intent. If it doesn’t sound like something we’d actually say, it doesn’t get published.
Images and Media
All photographs and media on this site are captured by a human. Photography is a core part of how we document downtown Raleigh and that work is done in person, on the ground.
If AI-generated imagery is ever used, it will be clearly captioned and identified as such. We will not knowingly present AI-generated media as human-created work.
Technical Development
This site occasionally features interactive elements such as embedded maps, data visualizations, and charts. We reserve the right to use AI as a coding assistant in the development of these tools. AI may help write or refine the code that powers these features, but the data, design decisions, and final output are validated and directed by a human.
This extends to the general IT infrastructure and maintenance behind the site itself. AI may assist with development and operations tasks that keep the site running the same way any developer might use modern tooling to work more efficiently.
The end result is no different from what would be produced if every line were written by hand. The maps still show real data. The charts still reflect real numbers. The site still runs on real infrastructure. AI just helps us build it.
This policy is subject to revision as AI tools and our use of them evolve. Last updated: April 2026.