Rules for the Use of AI in the dpa Newsroom
The German Press Agency (dpa) has communicated a clear set of rules to its editorial staff for the use of artificial intelligence in the production of its news services in the form of an internal directive, which is regularly reviewed and updated. Guidelines have likewise been formulated to govern the use of AI in photo and video. These sets of rules are underpinned by dpa’s generally applicable AI guideline. A key principle is that dpa reporting must not be generated solely by AI and must always be subject to final human review. In the news context, AI-generated photos and videos are generally prohibited.
dpa’s five AI Guidelines (as of June 2026)
dpa uses AI for a range of purposes and is open to the increased use of AI. AI helps us do our work better and faster - always in the interest of our customers and our products.
AI tools are used in dpa reporting only in a supporting role. They do not replace core journalistic skills such as finding topics, checking, contextualizing, researching, evaluating and verifying.
dpa uses AI only under human supervision. The final decision on the use of AI-based products is made by a human being. We respect human autonomy and the primacy of human decisions.
dpa uses only lawful AI that complies with applicable law and legal provisions. dpa uses AI that is technically robust and secure in order to minimize the risks of errors and misuse.
dpa encourages all employees to engage openly and curiously with the possibilities of AI, to test tools, and to make suggestions for their use in our workflows. What matters is transparency, openness, ethical use and documentation.
AI Directive (as of June 2026)
The responsible and supportive use of artificial intelligence (AI) in dpa reporting is expressly encouraged and is therefore also permitted for all dpa employees within the framework of the provisions of this directive.
AI may and should be used to support, improve and accelerate dpa reporting.
Every AI-assisted contribution begins with a dpa journalist who creates, checks and verifies an original contribution. Every AI-assisted version derived from it - for example an audio script, FAQ piece or summary - must be editorially reviewed and factually verified by a journalist before publication.
Under the current state of AI technology, dpa does not distribute editorial content from its own completely AI-generated production. However, if AI-generated or AI-manipulated content from external sources itself becomes the subject of reporting, dpa may, where appropriate, document or distribute it in a suitable form and with an appropriate disclaimer, while observing all legal requirements.
At present, AI tools are not suitable for the final verification of facts. However, specific AI tools can certainly provide important impulses that make the assessment of information easier and faster. In the end, however, human judgment remains decisive.
The rules on the use of AI also apply to freelance staff. The respective team leads ensure that freelancers are familiar with and comply with these guidelines.
This directive is supplemented by the “5 AI Guidelines of dpa.” Further binding instructions for use can be found in the practical guide to this directive.
Developments in the field of artificial intelligence require the directive and the practical guide to be updated at irregular intervals.
Rules for Photo and Video
In the visual news context, neither photos nor videos may be generated or manipulated using AI and distributed via dpa services.
This is also contractually agreed with suppliers who regularly work on behalf of dpa. All photos and videos from suppliers are reviewed in the dpa newsroom according to journalistic criteria.
When selecting international partners, we take great care to work with news agencies that operate according to the same quality standards as dpa, such as the Associated Press (AP), which is one of our largest partners worldwide.
Quality assurance is also carried out for individual image purchases and for some international photo agencies that we work with, meaning checks and controls are conducted when warranted.
In addition, a blacklist of conspicuous sources/authors is maintained and continuously revised and adapted on this issue in cooperation and close exchange with G39, a group of photo agencies.
Disclaimer
The German Press Agency also uses applications from the field of artificial intelligence (AI) for its products and services. These include, for example, Langdock, Copilot and ChatGPT as suggestion and inspiration tools, as well as graphic generators such as FireFly, translation aids such as DeepL, or Happy Scribe for converting audio and video content into written form. dpa’s own AI application, the dpa research assistant, is also used; it provides answers and brief summaries based on existing dpa reporting.