On Nov. 30, VERA Files introduced SEEK, its new AI-powered archival chatbot, now available in public beta for free. The announcement was made by Celine Samson, head of VERA Files’ online verification team, during the #JournalismAI Festival in London from Nov. 11 to 12.
SEEK is short for “Search Experience, Elevated to Knock out Disinformation.” Powered by a large language model (Claude 4.5 “Sonnet”) working over VERA Files’ curated database, SEEK offers two modes depending on the user’s needs: Quick Response for simple questions and Think Deeper for more complex topics.
It gives users conversational access to 17 years of VERA Files’ fact-checks, investigative reports and archives (over 5,000 published articles since 2008). Whether it’s exploring historical context, verifying claims, understanding misinformation patterns, or researching controversial figures, SEEK provides clear answers with verifiable sources.
SEEK’s knowledge base draws not only from VERA Files’ own reporting, but also includes selected analyses from partner organizations (e.g. Tsek.ph) and academic research such as from the UP Third World Studies Center, all curated to preserve relevance, context and reliability.
A pioneering tool against misinformation
SEEK is the country’s first AI-powered research assistant built to fight misinformation and disinformation targeting Filipinos. It was developed through a grant awarded to VERA Files under the 2024 JournalismAI Innovation Challenge of Polis at the London School of Economics, making it the only newsroom selected from Southeast Asia.
“SEEK is our answer to the question: How can we make it easy for audiences to search for facts?” said Celine Samson. With SEEK, VERA Files seeks to reduce the work of digging through archives, and instead offer an accessible, conversational way to find reliable information grounded in Philippine reporting.
At the same time, Samson cautioned against an overreliance on commercial AI-detection tools, noting they are “unreliable” as standalone solutions. Instead, SEEK and VERA Files emphasize human-led verification, contextual judgement, and transparency.
During closed-beta testing in August 2025, SEEK was tried by over 70 users across the Philippines, United Kingdom, Australia, and Kenya. Feedback was overwhelmingly positive: 82% of respondents said they would recommend SEEK to others.
How to Use SEEK:
- Visit verafiles.org
- Ask your question — from simple fact-checks to deeper contextual queries
- Get answers supported by citations you can verify yourself
About VERA Files
VERA Files is a Philippine non-profit media organization committed to fact-checking, investigative reporting, and public accountability since 2008. SEEK marks a new phase in fulfilling its mission: combining journalistic integrity with AI-enabled tools to empower the public against disinformation.
Media Contact:
Celine Samson
Head of VERA Files Online Verification
csamson@verafiles.org