How we use AI

Shannon.ie uses AI as a drafting tool for new evergreen guides and for organising site structure. It does not touch archived articles, and it does not invent facts, quotes, or news events.

Archived articles, those published in earlier years, are preserved exactly as they appeared. We strip out navigation clutter and dead advertising blocks, but the text itself stays intact. No AI rewriting, no style updates, no retrofitting of current voice. Those pieces are historical records.

New guides are different. We use AI to generate first drafts based on public information, existing topical knowledge, and editorial direction. A human editor then checks every claim, rewrites unclear sections, cuts filler, and ensures the piece matches our editorial policy. Nothing goes live without that review.

AI is useful for structure. It can organise a long topic into logical sections, suggest headings, and spot gaps in coverage. It is less useful for nuance, local texture, and knowing when to stop. That is where the editor comes in.

We do not use AI to fabricate sources. If a draft includes a phrase like "experts say" or "a recent study found", and we cannot name the expert or link the study, the phrase is cut. If we do not have the fact, we do not pretend we do.

AI is also used for metadata, titles, descriptions, and internal tags. These are low-stakes tasks where consistency and speed matter more than voice. A human still checks that the title matches the article and the description does not cut off mid-word.

We do not use AI to generate comments, fake testimonials, or synthetic "community voices". If a quote appears on Shannon.ie, it came from a real person or a named public source.

The goal is to publish more useful guides without sacrificing accuracy or clarity. AI helps with the first draft and the scaffolding. The editor ensures it is worth reading.

If you spot something that feels wrong, machine-written, or disconnected from reality, use the corrections process. We would rather know than guess.