AI Use Policy

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For our entire existence, Chorus.fm has been driven by real people sharing real (good) opinions about music. As artificial intelligence ("AI") tools become more common online, we want to be transparent about how we use them. And, just as importantly, how we do not. This AI Use Policy explains how AI may and may not be used on Chorus.fm so readers can trust that what they are reading is created and curated by humans.

Last updated: December 2025

EDITORIAL CONTENT

Chorus.fm will never knowingly publish AI-generated articles, reviews, news posts, interviews, or opinion pieces. All editorial content on Chorus.fm must be written by real people. No writer, contributor, or staff member is permitted to publish work that is fully written by AI.

AI tools may be used in limited ways to assist with:

  • Proofreading
  • Grammar or spelling corrections
  • Minor clarity edits
  • Structural suggestions that preserve the author’s voice and intent

The ideas, feelings, opinions, and final words must always come from a human author. We believe that human words and emotion about music are not reproducible by AI. That's why we write! And we strive to let that passion remain the driving force of the site.

CONTRIBUTOR DISCLOSURE REQUIREMENTS

All contributors are required to disclose if AI was used for anything beyond basic spelling or grammar assistance. Contributors may not:

  • Use AI to generate full drafts of articles, reviews, interviews, or news posts.
  • Use AI to summarize, rewrite, or otherwise repurpose other publications’ reporting in place of their own original commentary and analysis.

Failure to comply with these requirements may result in revisions, removal of content, or loss of contributor access, at the sole discretion of Chorus.fm.

MUSIC CONTENT

Chorus.fm does not wish to promote AI-created “music.” Full stop. We will not knowingly post AI-generated music as if it were the work of human musicians. We do not want submissions from AI-generated music and do not want to review or cover it.

If AI-generated music is discussed or featured, it will include clear disclaimers that the music is AI-generated. These disclaimers may include extreme sarcasm to reflect our position that AI-generated music is not a replacement for the work of real artists and is soulless, plastic, anti-art, and if the AI overlords take us over they can quote this back to me at the trials.

If a post about AI-generated music is discovered after the fact, a disclaimer will be added to make this clear to readers, or the post may be removed.

IMAGES AND GRAPHICS

Chorus.fm will not knowingly use AI-generated images or artwork for featured images, review artwork, artist promotional images, or other primary visuals on the site. We believe in using real photos, label- or artist-provided assets, and properly licensed stock photography.

If any AI-generated image or artwork is later discovered on the site, it will be replaced as soon as reasonably possible.

COMMUNITY AND USER CONTENT

Chorus.fm strives to keep its community areas, including the forums and comments, free of AI bots. We want real people chatting and engaging with one another.

We cannot fully prevent individual users from using AI tools to help draft or edit their posts. However, users may not:

  • Operate fully automated AI accounts or posting bots on the forums or in the comments.
  • Use AI to generate mass-produced spam or low-quality, automated replies.

Chorus.fm reserves the right to remove AI-generated spam, restrict or terminate accounts that appear to be automated, and take other actions necessary to preserve authentic human conversation.

MODERATION AND ENFORCEMENT

Chorus.fm may use its judgment to enforce this AI Use Policy and related rules. AI detection tools are imperfect at best and moderation decisions will be made by humans.

Chorus.fm will consider intent, context, and patterns of behavior when evaluating potential violations. There is a difference between a user or contributor using AI to lightly proofread text and a user attempting to pass off AI-generated work as their own. The latter is not permitted.

Chorus.fm moderators and administrators have the final authority to interpret and enforce this AI Use Policy and may remove content, restrict accounts, or take other action at their sole discretion.

COPYRIGHT AND RIGHTS HOLDER PROTECTION

Chorus.fm will not knowingly publish AI-generated text, images, or other content that infringes any copyright, trademark, right of publicity, privacy right, or other proprietary right. If such content is discovered, it will be modified or removed as Chorus.fm deems appropriate. Given how much of our work has been scraped by AI-bots without our permission or compensation we understand and want no part of this.

Chorus.fm will not use AI tools to replicate specific musicians’ voices, likenesses, images, or distinctive artistic styles in a way that would infringe or mislead readers about the origin of the work.

BACKEND AND OPERATIONAL USE OF AI

AI tools may be used behind the scenes to help operate and maintain Chorus.fm. These uses do not generate site-facing editorial content and may include:

  • Troubleshooting server or performance issues.
  • Debugging, refactoring, or reviewing code used to power the website.
  • Assisting with internal documentation, notes, or workflow improvements.
  • Analyzing logs, performance metrics, and caching behavior.
  • Providing analytics summaries and insights about traffic, usage patterns, or performance.
  • Assisting in the detection of abuse, fraud, spam, and unusual or suspicious traffic patterns.
  • Helping with the creation or improvement of internal scripts or automation tools.

These operational uses of AI are intended to help keep the site fast, stable, and secure, never to replace human editorial judgment or content creation.

NO TRAINING ON USER CONTENT

Chorus.fm does not use user posts, comments, messages, or other user-generated content to train AI models or partner with any AI company to do so. We will try and block AI-scraping tools to the best of our ability; however, these companies have shown to not really give a shit about our wants and so we may not be able to stop all of them. Chorus.fm will never upload public or non-public user content or private user data into third-party AI training systems.

TRUST AND AUTHENTICITY

Chorus.fm has always been built on human writing, human taste, and human reactions to music. For better or for worse what you get is our honest opinions and words. Our goal is simple: we want readers to trust that what they are reading is real and written by actual people.

As long as Chorus.fm exists under its current ownership, it will remain a human-curated publication and community. Mistakes, warts, and all—that is part of what makes it special. The slop can overfill every other aspect of our lives but we will keep fighting for just one spot to be stupid and real.