Asahi Shimbun's AI Proofreading Tool Integrated into PR TIMES. An Update to Prevent Backlash and Guide Clear Communication.

PR TIMES Inc. (Minato-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director: Takumi Yamaguchi; TSE Prime & Nagoya Premier: 3922) announced on Tuesday, June 2, 2026, that it has implemented a new proofreading function in the press release editor of its press release distribution service 'PR TIMES', in collaboration with 'Typoless', an AI proofreading tool provided by The Asahi Shimbun Company. The service started on the same day. In addition to the previously provided proofreading functions, this update incorporates the proofreading expertise cultivated by The Asahi Shimbun in newspaper production to enhance the capabilities (details below). - Collaboration with Asahi Shimbun's 'Typoless', utilizing a dictionary of approximately 210,000 proofreading rules. - Detection of expressions that pose a risk of online backlash or could promote discrimination and stereotypes. - Addition of suggestions for distinguishing homophones and correcting notation inconsistencies. Detecting Backlash Risk and Stereotypes: An Update Mindful of Social Context Since press releases are published as official company documents, many companies likely conduct thorough double-checks before publication to prevent mistakes. PR TIMES has been continuously refining the functions and UI of its press release editor to alleviate the anxiety of its client companies about 'not making mistakes' and to allow even those unfamiliar with writing press releases to publish with confidence. In September 2024, PR TIMES implemented an update to the proofreading function specialized for refining press release text. This update enabled in-editor checks for day-of-week consistency, unification of sentence endings, double negatives, redundant expressions, detection of specific trademarks and discriminatory terms, and typos/omissions/conversion errors. The UI was also revamped to allow proofreading and corrections to be completed within the editor, and it has been widely used by many client companies. (Reference) Press release regarding the PR TIMES proofreading function update (September 2024): https://prtimes.jp/main/html/rd/p/000001456.000000112.html On the other hand, a certain number of cases still occur where inappropriate expressions or potentially inflammatory expressions that were not noticed at the time of press release submission are discovered after publication, leading to withdrawal or correction. Including inappropriate expressions in press releases, which also serve as information sources for the media, can lead to missed opportunities and damage corporate trust. PR TIMES aims to create an environment where anyone, regardless of experience or knowledge, can announce valuable actions through press releases. Therefore, the company is developing its products to detect expression errors in the editor and assist in writing without relying on special skills. With this update, in addition to the items covered by the previous proofreading function, PR TIMES has added detection based on social context judgment, such as backlash risk and stereotypes (gender, age, nationality, etc.). This provides an environment where users can notice aspects they might have previously missed and adjust their expressions accordingly. In today's diverse society, communication that considers all stakeholders who receive the information is crucial for press releases, which are official corporate documents. This update is expected to assist not only those unfamiliar with writing press releases but also regular creators in crafting text that is mindful of social context. Bringing Asahi Shimbun's Proofreading Expertise to the Press Release Field Typoless is an AI proofreading tool developed by Asahi Shimbun's Media Research & Development Center. It is an AI that has learned from The Asahi Shimbun's vast archive of article proofreading history data and is equipped with a dictionary of approximately 210,000 proofreading rules. Its feature is the ability to point out not only typos and notation inconsistencies but also expressions that could pose a backlash risk or promote discrimination and stereotypes. It won the 2025 Good Design Award. PR TIMES has implemented a function that displays proofreading suggestions within the press release editor by utilizing the Typoless API. By incorporating the linguistic expertise cultivated by a newspaper company over many years into the field of corporate press release distribution, the function enables users to notice expressions requiring consideration from a third-party perspective, which can be difficult for a single writer to judge. Typoless Official Website: https://typoless.asahi.com/ Key Points of the Proofreading Function Update through 'Typoless' Collaboration This update builds upon the September 2024 proofreading function and strengthens it through the collaboration with Typoless in the following areas: 1. Expansion of Proofreading Rule Dictionary (Approximately 210,000 Rules) In addition to the previous proofreading items, users can now utilize the approximately 210,000 proofreading rules dictionary that Typoless incorporates. This enables more detailed suggestions cultivated in a newspaper production environment. For example, it offers suggestions to improve readability, such as pointing out consecutive use of particles or the same conjunction, and suggesting hiragana for adverbs typically written in kanji (e.g., '更に' -> 'さらに'). 2. Detection of Backlash Risk and Expressions that Could Promote Discrimination/Stereotypes Beyond detecting specific trademarks and discriminatory terms, the detection scope now includes backlash risks in social contexts and expressions that could unconsciously promote discrimination or stereotypes. (Examples) '男まさり' (implying gender hierarchy), 'キーマン' (bias towards a specific gender) 3. Support for Distinguishing Homophones The function provides context-based suggestions for distinguishing homophones that writers often find confusing. (Examples) '初めて' vs '始めて', '異議' vs '意義' Perspective September 2024 Update Current (June 2026) Update Proofreading Rules Originally designed focusing on items specific to press releases + Asahi Shimbun's approximately 210,000 proofreading rules dictionary Detection Scope Day-of-week, sentence endings, double negatives, discriminatory terms, typos, etc. + Backlash risk, expressions that could promote stereotypes, homophones Design Philosophy Reduce mistakes at the time of submission + Respect the writer's expression and 'make them aware' PR TIMES' Proofreading Function that Respects the Writer's Words Proofreading is fundamentally a support to guide a writer's text towards better expression. PR TIMES believes that an experience of unilaterally stripping away words that a writer has carefully crafted undermines the essence of the user experience. This function focuses on 'making the user aware' of errors or expressions requiring consideration, leaving the final decision on whether to correct them to the writer. The suggestions are presented in a gentle manner, allowing the writer to choose whether to accept them after their own confirmation. The aim is to respect the writer's expressive intent while helping them reach a state where they can publish with greater confidence. Furthermore, while Typoless is designed for all types of text, general writing conventions and press release conventions can sometimes differ. Analysis based on approximately 5 million press releases published on PR TIMES revealed a tendency for shorter text to appear frequently in press releases, which prioritize conveying information concisely. This is one of the unique stylistic features of press releases. PR TIMES will continue to select and adjust the suggestion rules in consultation with The Asahi Shimbun to suit press releases, aiming to provide suggestions that respect the writer's expressive intent.