At Downshiftology, the recipes, recommendations, and information I share have always been rooted in real-life experience. I cook the recipes, taste them, test different ingredients and techniques, and share what I’ve learned along the way.
Artificial intelligence (AI) is quickly changing how people create and find information online, so I believe it’s important to be transparent about how Downshiftology does, and does not, use AI.
What Stays Human
I’ve mentioned before how I test and develop recipes, but it’s worth restating that I personally develop and test every single recipe on Downshiftology.
AI cannot taste food, cook a recipe in a kitchen, determine whether a texture is right, or decide whether a recipe is good enough to share with you. Those decisions are all made by me, through actual recipe development and testing. The experiences, travel and culinary influences, opinions, recommendations, and personal stories you read on Downshiftology reflect my own experiences and judgment.
Where AI May Help
Like many digital publishers, I may use AI-powered tools behind the scenes to make certain parts of my editorial and business workflow more efficient.
For example, AI may help:
- Brainstorm recipe ideas, blog post topics, or ways to organize information.
- Research topics or identify questions readers may want answered.
- Analyze search trends, website data, reader feedback, or other large sets of information.
- Assist with writing, reviewing, or refining editorial copy for clarity, grammar, organization, or readability.
- Organize, categorize, tag, or otherwise manage content within my editorial system.
- Assist with administrative, technical, analytical, or other behind-the-scenes business tasks.
AI-generated suggestions are always treated as a starting point, not as an authority. Anything that becomes part of Downshiftology’s editorial content is subject to human review, editing, and judgment.
What I Will Not Do
I will not use AI to fabricate firsthand experiences, recipe testing, opinions, quotes, product experiences, travel experiences, or personal stories.
I will not use AI to manufacture expertise I don’t have or intentionally publish information that has not been appropriately reviewed.
I also do not use any AI-generated images to represent the finished result of a Downshiftology recipe. The food photography associated with my recipes is intended to show you the actual food that was prepared and photographed. And all of the original food photography for my recipes is captured by either me or Gayle McLeod, my amazing photographer.
Standard photographic and video editing may be used for things such as exposure, color, cropping, cleanup, or other normal production adjustments. My goal is always to accurately represent the appearance of the finished recipe, so you know what to expect when making it yourself.
Affiliate and Sponsored Content
I may publish sponsored content and use affiliate links. But my use of AI does not change my standards for recommendations. When I recommend a product based on my personal experience, the recommendation reflects my actual opinion and experience with that product.
Advertisements or other content supplied and controlled by third parties may be created under those companies’ own AI policies and practices. Downshiftology does not control how third-party advertisers or partners use AI in materials they independently provide.
My Commitment to Transparency
I think we can all agree that technology will continue to change, and the ways we use digital tools may change with it.
What won’t change is the principle behind Downshiftology: technology should support human creativity and expertise, not pretend to replace it.
The recipes you come here to make will always be recipes I’ve actually cooked and tested in my own kitchen. The photos will always show real food, and my recommendations will always reflect genuine experience. That’s my commitment to you, my loyal Downshifters!
I may update this policy as AI tools and my use of them evolve over time.
