cat > /mnt/user-data/outputs/ai-ethics.blade.php << 'ENDAIE' AI Ethics Policy — Trusted Buyer Report
Transparency

Our AI works for you,
not the other way around.

Trusted Buyer Report uses AI to research and draft faster than one person could alone. But every article is reviewed and fact-checked by a human before it goes live. This page explains exactly how that works — and where AI's role ends.

Last updated: May 1, 2026 ~6 min read Human-reviewed policy
AI-assisted research & drafting Human-reviewed before publishing AI-assisted content is labeled No AI-generated scores Research-based
Section 1
Our commitment to responsible AI

Artificial intelligence is a tool — a powerful one — but a tool nonetheless. Trusted Buyer Report was built on the belief that shoppers deserve honest, well-sourced research they can actually trust. AI helps us do that research and produce a first draft far faster than one person could manually. It does not replace the human judgment and fact-checking that make our recommendations trustworthy.

This policy documents every way AI is used on this site, every safeguard we have in place, and every right you have as a reader. We update it whenever our AI usage changes. If you ever have a question this page doesn't answer, email us at contact@trustedbuyerreport.com.

Core principle: AI assists with research and drafting. A human reviews and fact-checks every article before it is published. Nothing goes live as raw, unchecked AI output, and claims that can't be verified against a source are removed — not published on trust.
Section 2
How AI is used in our editorial process

AI assists at specific stages of the research and writing process. Here is exactly where AI is — and is not — involved:

1
Data ingestion & pattern detection
AI gathers manufacturer specs, published independent lab tests, pricing history, return-policy documents, and large samples of verified shopper reviews — flagging patterns (recurring complaints, rating drops, claim-versus-reality gaps) that would take a person a long time to surface manually.
2
Sourced first draft
AI produces a first draft — including the recommendation — with its sources attached. This draft is never published as-is. It is a starting point for the human editor, not a conclusion.
3
Human review & fact-check
A human checks the draft against its cited sources, removes anything that can't be verified, corrects errors, and rewrites where the draft is weak. Our reviews are research-based — we do not physically test products or contact customer support, and we don't claim to.
4
Disclosure & sign-off
A final check for accuracy, AI labeling, and affiliate-link disclosure. The editorial assessment is completed before any affiliate link is added — never before. No store can pay for a better rating.
5
Publication with clear labeling
Because our articles are produced with AI assistance, they carry our AI-assisted label. We don't hide AI's role.
Section 3
Our AI-powered reader tools

In addition to our editorial AI, we offer four AI-powered tools directly to readers. Here is exactly what each tool does — and what it doesn't do:

All four tools are assistants, not authorities. They can be wrong or incomplete — treat their output as a starting point, and the final call is always yours.
Section 4
What AI is explicitly prohibited from doing

We have firm rules about what AI may never do on Trusted Buyer Report, regardless of capability:

AI is allowed to
Summarize and cluster patterns in review data
Gather sources and draft articles for human review
Answer reader questions via our tools
Identify potential bias or anomalies in data
Suggest article structure
Produce first drafts that a human then fact-checks and edits
AI is never allowed to
Publish a final store score without human review
Have its draft published without a human fact-check
Appear unlabeled — AI-assisted content carries a badge
Access or store your personal purchase history
Make monetization decisions (affiliate link placement)
Have unverified claims, quotes, or citations published
Section 5
Human oversight & accountability

A human is accountable for the accuracy of every article on Trusted Buyer Report. This is not a formality — it is the foundation of how the site works.

  • Clear attribution: Articles are published under the Trusted Buyer Report name with the date of the most recent update. We don't publish unchecked AI content — and we don't invent author personas.
  • The human can reject the draft: The editor can revise or completely rewrite an AI draft. AI output is treated as a first draft from a junior researcher — useful, but never final.
  • Assessment before monetization: The editorial assessment is completed before any affiliate link is added. Commercial relationships do not determine our findings.
  • No advertiser influence: No brand can pay for a review, a higher score, or placement, and no advertiser can suppress a negative finding.
  • Updated when things change: We update an article when products, prices, or policies change — and we date updates honestly, rather than on a fixed schedule.
If you ever believe a finding doesn't reflect reality, we want to know. Use our corrections policy page to submit a challenge — we aim to review every submission within 5 business days.
Section 6
How we label AI-assisted content

You have a right to know when AI contributed to what you're reading. Our labeling works as follows:

  • Articles produced with AI assistance carry an AI badge and a byline noting: "Researched and drafted with AI assistance, reviewed and fact-checked by Trusted Buyer Report."
  • Specific AI-generated summaries (for example, a review-cluster summary) are labeled inline where they appear.
  • Our four reader-facing AI tools are clearly identified as AI tools throughout the site.
  • We don't pretend AI wasn't involved when it was — that's the whole point of the label.
Examples of AI labeling in practice
AI AI-generated summary: Across a large sample of reviews, customers most frequently praise fast shipping and easy returns, while the most common complaint is inconsistent sizing information on product pages.
Editor's note (human-reviewed): We cross-checked these review patterns against the store's published return policy and our cited sources; the sizing complaints are consistent across sources, which is why the guide flags it prominently.
AI Price trend analysis: This product has historically dropped 18–22% in the 3 weeks before Black Friday, based on published price history.
Section 7
Data, privacy & AI training

Understanding how your data interacts with our AI systems is important. Here is a full account:

Data our AI reads

  • Publicly available shopper reviews from verified retail platforms
  • Publicly available pricing data and product specifications
  • Store return, shipping, and terms-of-service documents (public)

Data our AI does NOT access

  • Your personal browsing history or purchase records
  • Your account information (name, email, saved stores)
  • Any data from your device beyond what you type into our tools

Shopping Assistant conversations

When you use our Shopping Assistant, your messages are processed to generate a response. We do not store conversation history beyond your current session, and we do not use your conversation data to train AI models. Each session is independent.

AI model training

We do not use reader-submitted content (reviews, form submissions, feedback) to train or fine-tune AI models without explicit consent. Our AI systems are built on commercially licensed models, not trained on user data from this site.

For full details on data collection and your privacy rights, see our Privacy Policy.
Section 8
Your rights as a reader

You have specific rights regarding how AI is used to produce content that may influence your purchasing decisions:

Right to know
You can always tell which content was AI-assisted via our labeling. This policy itself is the full disclosure.
Right to challenge
If you believe an AI-assisted finding is wrong, submit a correction. We aim to review and respond within 5 business days.
Right to ask
You can email us to ask how AI was used in any specific review or article.
Right to skip AI
You can read our reviews and guides without using the AI tools at all. See our Privacy Policy for data details.
Section 9
Questions about our AI use

This policy is a living document. If our AI usage changes, we will update it and note the change date. If you have a question this page doesn't answer:

AI Ethics & Editorial Enquiries
Email: contact@trustedbuyerreport.com
We aim to respond within 5 business days.
For corrections to specific reviews, use our Corrections Policy page.

Related policies:

Review Methodology Privacy Policy Affiliate Disclosure Corrections Policy
Editorial Independence
Scores are finalized before any affiliate link is placed
AI-Assisted, Human-Reviewed
AI surfaces patterns and drafts; a human reviews and fact-checks every article
Research-Based & Cited
Recommendations cite their sources — we don't claim hands-on testing
Full Methodology Published
Read how we score — every criterion is public

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Trusted Buyer Report was built on one belief: shoppers make better decisions when the research behind a recommendation is honest, well-sourced, and transparent. It is an independent, AI-assisted site run by a single editor. Our reviews are research-based: AI gathers sources and drafts, a human reviews and fact-checks before publishing, and we cite our sources. Affiliate commissions fund the site — but are added only after our assessment is complete.

No paid rankings, ever Human-verified editorial Research-based & cited FTC compliant AI-assisted, human-reviewed

Affiliate Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Trusted Buyer Report also participates in other affiliate programs. When you click a link on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. This helps fund this independent site. Our editorial recommendations are completed before any affiliate link is applied and are never influenced by commercial relationships. Read our full disclosure →  ·  AI Disclosure: Our articles are researched and drafted with AI assistance, then reviewed and fact-checked by a human before publication. AI-assisted content is labeled. Read our editorial standards →