"Is it real or is it Memorex?" was a popular advertising slogan from the early 1980s for Memorex cassette recording tapes. It claimed to offer an authentic capture and playback experience so that the listener couldn't tell if they were listening to the actual performance or if it was being played back using a cassette tape.
I'm curious about the number of times I used Memorex or another brand of cassette tapes to record my favorite songs from albums so that I could create my ideal playlist. During my middle and high school days, it wasn’t so much to please my discerning ear but more about the selection and sequence of the songs and what those songs, or the performer, meant to me.
The promise made by Memorex was simple – the illusion was real. Artificial intelligence (AI) makes a similar promise – replicating writing, tone, voice and putting words together so that readers may not know for sure whether a piece was crafted by a human or by AI.
At Progressive Publishing, we believe writing requires much more than replication – it requires a human. We maintain that writing is a craft – it’s shaped by emotion, context, passion, judgment and integrity – qualities that a tool such as AI cannot replicate. That’s why we’ve drawn an editorial line – not to resist technology but to preserve the integrity of the craft of writing.
Recently, while writing a farm feature, I commented to a former colleague and writer, “The best part of writing is the word weaving and the magic of the story unfolding.” That’s my craft.
As the editors at Progressive Publishing discussed AI guidelines, we agreed to abide by the following guidelines that eventually developed our policy:
We will not use AI to:
- Generate text for articles, even as drafts.
- Make grammar or style suggestions. This is your craft. Use your human talents to refine your own work and help make others’ writing better. If you need assistance, request help from a co-worker.
- Summarize articles into at-a-glance paragraphs. The entire article should not be put into an AI query.
Our AI policy: Human-written content is the editorial standard for Progressive Publishing editors. AI cannot replace the experience, talents and thought-provoking skills of our writers and editors. We maintain that writing is a craft. We aim to be transparent and disclose content that has been developed using AI. Authors are required to disclose their use of AI. As always, authors take full responsibility for reviewing and fact-checking their work.
Progressive Forage magazine’s description: Progressive Forage is the premier forage resource for hay, silage and pasture producers. Each issue focuses on specific topics compelling to every phase and season of the industry – from soil preparation and seeding through harvest. Producers find the newest content in research, equipment, technology and management practices to help them be more successful and profitable.
Our AI policy isn’t just procedural – it's a promise – a promise that what readers read on our pages isn’t a “playback.” It’s intentional. It’s crafted. It’s real.
As technology continues to evolve – from the internet, social media, AI and beyond – so will our engagement, but our editorial compass and our commitment will not change. We'll respect technology, but it is our responsibility to acknowledge the skill involved in writing – every article, caption, at-a-glance and teaser – aren't just words we’re sharing, it’s our perspective and that will always be human-crafted.
