It’s time to step out into the light

There’s an air of nervous anticipation as I approach one of the busiest three days of my life preparing to introduce the Truth Matters project to the world after the weekend.

Yesterday I brought you up to speed on the civic data hub component of the upcoming Truth Matters project. As a reminder, the Matter of Record element is a nonpartisan repository of primary source data. It contains about 13 million records directly from official public sources. This site has strict guardrails that prevent political influence from contaminating the data or output.

The website where the tool will live has its own domain (matterofrecord.org). It has a read-only output data feed and does not allow data to be added to the repository without compliance rules, which will be published in due course.

All data comes from public records, and where needed, we contacted the relevant data-source custodians to make them aware of the project. Indeed, I was encouraged by a response overnight from the US House Historian’s office, after recommending their bulk download for our use, stating:

We appreciate your diligence in ensuring proper use of House information. Please let us know if you have any questions about House history.

Users need confidence that the records in the primary data repository have been legitimately sourced and acknowledged. I take my responsibilities in this regard very seriously. I want everyone who visits and uses the site to be confident this is a sterile recordset, NOT subject to any political influence.

Today, however, we’re going to focus on the second element of the project: the Truth Matters-branded website. This will be home to my advocacy work and, as such, will represent my political values and beliefs. My political position, along with my views on the Middle East conflict, has long been a matter of public record. That’s why I deliberately split the project into two sites, matterofrecord.org and truthmatters.org.uk; I also chose the latter to be transparent about the project’s geographical location.

Unlike Matter of Record, Truth Matters extends my political advocacy work beyond Substack, X, TikTok and YouTube, where I currently have a presence. This is why the project had to be split into two specific parts, given the importance of protecting and maintaining the integrity of the clean, nonpartisan data.

My Substack writing has long been noted for delivering the unvarnished truth without fear or favour. This move to anchor it on its own domain is my way of saying it’s time to step out from behind the brand, pull on my big boy pants, and present myself front and centre in this existential battle to preserve democracy. This is no longer just about the US; the battle half of America is in to save a nation’s soul now extends well beyond its shores. It now threatens both sides of the Atlantic.

That is why I’m launching a new Substack called Battle for Britain, a UK sister publication to Truth Matters dedicated to British politics. The key point is that I’ve decided to use AI not to write, but to organise the entire operation’s workflow. Anthropic’s Claude will be at the heart of the workflow. This is the only way one person can make it work.

I want to be very transparent about the AI integration strategy because I’m well aware of public sentiment toward it right now. I hope this adoption of AI for the greater good helps people understand how powerful the technology is, while remaining mindful of the challenges it presents to society. I think the technology itself is going nowhere, so the debate isn’t whether it should exist, but what form it should take.

Data centres have always existed. However, now, because AI models process data inefficiently, they consume massive amounts of power. This then impacts society in a whole host of ways. I’m not going to defend the indefensible when it comes to the clear environmental damage the current Wild West approach causes. What I’m saying is that, for this project, it’s the only way to deliver it at the scale required to play an important role.

The aim of the Truth Matters element of the project is to enable me to create high-production-value messaging and public service information at scale. I focus on the messaging in MY OWN WORDS, while AI helps manage the visual art pipeline to support those words. Often I might want a bespoke animation or presentation, and that’s where AI can do the heavy lifting on infographics, etc., but ONLY based on the fact-checked numbers I provide. All with accompanying attribution of sources, etc.

To push the boundaries, I have also created a digital me, not a pleasant thought, I know, but I’ve put many hours into creating both a digital avatar and a voice clone over the last week and a half. To give you an idea of how close the voice clone is, the love of my life said it sounds like me with a posh voice. I dare say my avatar would also make far less mess in the kitchen than I do when I prepare dinner.

The obvious question is why would you want to do that? It’s simple: I want to narrate all my Substack posts in my cloned voice, and I want to avoid spending hours recording to camera so I can focus on the avatar delivering the words I wrote. It’s a far more efficient workflow. That’s not to say I want to use it for everything, just for short-form content I can push to social media platforms.

I have a very simple ask: come to it with an open mind. Transparency is an imperative; hence this piece. The AI avatar will be clearly labelled, and any presentation section it appears in will be framed in purple so you know it’s AI. Again, I emphasise it will only ever speak MY WORDS. I haven’t added an option to turn it off yet.

I want to be clear that these functions will be ring-fenced within the Truth Matters site. Anyone who just wants to read my usual Substack pieces can carry on as normal. Nothing will change. Those feeling a little more adventurous can, however, access interactive versions of my posts where available. These will be specially designed versions that will enable you to branch off within the piece to explore related interactive stats or other related content, so as to experience a seamless journey of discovery as part of the reading experience.

In addition to interactive posts, I’ll be providing a fully searchable library of the 500+ pieces I have written on Substack to date. Simply type any subject or phrase, and you’ll get a list of matches. I also plan to offer selected writers the opportunity to feature their pieces on the site at no cost; inclusion means their own library becomes searchable. Each piece will provide a link back to the original Substack article. I need to investigate if I can link back to subscribe buttons too, but that’s a downstream plan.

I’d like to add links to publications in the Truth Matters library so visitors can browse recommended writers and access their work. There will be NO revenue sharing or anything like that; you'll retain full control to monetise your work. It will be one of several information sources featured in the library, including links to academic papers and reports from reputable think tanks and advocacy organisations.

The site will also have READ-only access to the Matter of Record site to analyse member records, votes, and FEC data. This will be a one-way data connector, so using the data for advocacy work will not update any original data in the primary data repository. The site tools add layers on top of the data that will exist only on Truth Matters.

It would take another piece to describe all the features the site will offer, but I will mention the Screening Room, which will feature longer-form documentaries and content from YouTube and other sources that will feed the media player. This is where you’ll be able to browse searchable libraries from TikTok and YouTube creators. Creators will also have the opportunity to feature their content on the site.

The Screening Room will also let me integrate Zoom for community meetings, and the long-term objective is to offer this space to advocacy groups. The Truth Matters site will provide curated news and access to recommended sites that align with Truth Matters' values. To say I’m excited about what I have created would be the understatement of the century. I truly believe it will be a game changer in the public information space.

When can we have it?

Good question, and I want to answer that question as clearly as I can. I never expected to achieve so much in just over three weeks, but the basic framework is already in place. The project is designed to be modular, so we can add modules as new services and tools become available. For the initial rollout, the dataset covers the second Trump term. To give you a sense of scale, the Matter of Record site alone already includes about 13 million pieces of primary source data. Once we test and validate the data ingestion model, we can begin reaching back to gather data from earlier administrations.

After the weekend, we’ll share a time-limited link that introduces the project, walks you through its scope, and shows how the data flows through the system and what it looks and feels like to use. You'll see REAL data you can get hands-on with. You will have access to the methodology for verifying the data. You’ll see how Truth Matters provides tools to analyse a debate; in this data example, it features the first Ossoff and Collins debate (8 October). You can walk through the process yourself, listening to the statements and seeing how claims were verified and scored.

These fact-checking tools deliver results without fear or favour and provide the methodology used, along with links to the sources that drove the scoring. The tool also features a selection of the candidate’s campaign ads, so you have plenty of information to hand. The goal is to get a feel for what the site’s tools can deliver. Bear in mind that this initial taster link only scratches the surface of what we’ll offer once the system launches in full. You’ll also have opportunities to share feedback within the app itself.

Over the coming weeks, we’ll send a series of time-limited links to introduce you to the modules as we add them to the system. Again, what you will see is real data delivered live from the web. You can participate using ANY connected device, from phone to desktop. If you are a fraction as excited as I am, I’ll be elated. I know AI integration might be an ideological challenge for some, and I get that. As a creator who’s built trust in the Truth Matters brand for years, I'm asking only for a chance to show you how AI can be used for good.

This concludes my last full post for the week. I need a long weekend to prepare the time-limited links to go live after the weekend. I’ll host a Zoom on Sunday evening (time to be announced) to give you a sneak peek at what’s coming and answer any questions you might have. If you would like an invite, email TM PEEK at info@truthmatters.org.uk, and we’ll get back to you. I’ll send out a short post with timings tomorrow. Please note that spaces will be limited and allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

I’ll be back in the writing chair on Monday, when the new Battle for Britain Substack opens for business too. Have a great weekend, and keep me in your thoughts as I continue preparing.

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