Investigative journalism has the highest factual standards of any journalism category — a single uncorrected error can destroy an investigation's credibility and provide the subject of the investigation with grounds for legal action. For investigative teams using AI tools in their research, an "AI-assisted but double-checked" pipeline ensures that AI efficiency gains don't compromise the absolute factual rigour that investigations require.
The Double-Check Pipeline
First check (automated, Omniscient AI): All factual claims in AI-generated research briefs, draft sections, and timeline reconstructions are run through multi-engine verification. Claims with unanimous high-confidence verdicts are provisionally cleared. Claims with any doubt are escalated. Second check (human, primary sources): All claims in the final article — including those that passed the first check — are verified against primary source documents (court records, financial filings, official statements, interview transcripts) by a dedicated fact-checker or senior reporter. The first check provides efficiency; the second check provides investigative certainty. No claim reaches publication without passing both.