[Proposal setup] Proposal title

Please provide your proposal title

AI News Summaries + Source & Bias traceability-For Argentina

[Proposal Summary] Budget Information

Enter the amount of funding you are requesting in ADA

139000

[Proposal Summary] Time

Please specify how many months you expect your project to last

12

[Proposal Summary] Translation Information

Please indicate if your proposal has been auto-translated

No

Original Language

en

[Proposal Summary] Problem Statement

What is the problem you want to solve?

News articles are abundant but trust is scarce. Polarized coverage, opaque biases, and AI fakes make it hard to check facts or origin across outlets especially in Argentina’s intense media environment

[Proposal Summary] Supporting Documentation

Supporting links

• https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-YeQ7EPh-QkYfaPtxStgzquAMYJm7PQX/view?usp=sharing

[Proposal Summary] Project Dependencies

Does your project have any dependencies on other organizations, technical or otherwise?

No

Describe any dependencies or write 'No dependencies'

No dependencies

[Proposal Summary] Project Open Source

Will your project's outputs be fully open source?

No

Please provide details on the intellectual property (IP) status of your project outputs, including whether they will be released as open source or retained under another licence.

The project is not open source, but we are commited to sharing comprehencive reports along the way, plus a complete closeout report that includes findings for similar enterprises to learn from

[Theme Selection] Theme

Please choose the most relevant theme and tag related to the outcomes of your proposal

Connected Community

[Campaign Category] Category Questions

Describe what makes your idea innovative compared to what has been previously launched in the market (whether by you or others).

We pair AI news synthesis with public, tamper-evident records on Cardano. Each summary links to its source list and a content hash anchored on-chain (transaction metadata and Cardano Improvement Proposal (CIP)-68). Rather than claim neutrality, we reveal how claims were formed, highlight narrative differences, and invite community participation through wallet-based reactions and bias-perception voting. Argentina’s high-pressure news cycle is an ideal stress test for a template that can later be replicated.

Describe what your prototype or MVP will demonstrate, and where it can be accessed.

A working web MVP will show: (1) story clustering across ~40 Argentine/international sources; (2) Consensus facts vs Narrative differences; (3) outlet/journalist profiles with bias indicators and community perception; (4) a Verify on Cardano link to view the on-chain record (metadata and CIP-68 “Story Token”). Access: public URL with repositories for contracts, verification tooling, and documented pre-prod/testnet transactions.

Describe realistic measures of success, ideally with on-chain metrics.

By project end: ≥100 anchored summaries; ≥150 on-chain events (hashes or tokens); ≥50 unique wallets using Verify. Off-chain: ≥40 outlet/journalist profiles with indicators; ≥200 user reactions to summaries; ≥200 bias-perception votes on profiles; conversion from closed-alpha to public MVP achieved.

[Your Project and Solution] Solution

Please describe your proposed solution and how it addresses the problem

We will deliver a prototype that ingests diverse news sources, clusters related coverage, extracts claims, estimates cross-source consensus, and publishes a transparent summary that is cryptographically anchored on Cardano.

Why Argentina, and why now?

Argentina blends vibrant independent journalism with strong corporate interests, state intervention, and designed narratives. Citizens face a daily crossfire of claims. Our mission is to shrink the gap between people and verifiable facts by showing what multiple sources agree on, what they dispute, and how perspectives diverge—then anchoring each summary’s origin so quiet edits are detectable. We aim to promote independent journalism and truth-seeking with a mechanism that increases transparency, traceability of facts, and diversity of sources without depending on a single gatekeeper that could be compromised. Cardano provides the backbone: public records anyone can check.

How the system works.

1. Data & Story Engine (~40 sources). We ingest RSS/APIs/crawlers for major Argentine outlets, independent journalists/newsletters, and select international references. We normalize metadata (outlet, author when available, timestamps, topics, geography). Using multilingual embeddings and entity/event extraction, we cluster articles into story bundles, detect wire duplication to avoid over-weighting reposts, and maintain a source graph distinguishing primary from derivative reporting.

2. Bias & Profile Layer (transparent indicators). Each outlet/journalist has a public profile with bias indicators (e.g., political orientation, establishment stance, factual reliability) derived from clearly described criteria, AI-assisted analysis, and community input. Votes do not auto-flip indicators; they are shown as perception trends and feed a human review queue.

**3. Consensus Facts & Narrative Differences. **For each story we extract claims (who/what/where/when; numbers; quotes), label each as verifiable fact, attributed statement, or interpretation, align semantically equivalent claims across outlets, compute a transparent consensus score (including cross-ideology agreement), and present two sections: Consensus facts and Narrative differences with representative quotes/headlines. Sensitive stories receive human review during the pilot.

**4. Cardano Anchoring & Verification. **Each published summary is serialized as off-chain JSON (e.g., InterPlanetary File System (IPFS)) containing the summary, full source list, model versions, and pipeline configuration. We write its content hash plus descriptors (story ID, timestamp, language) to Cardano via transaction metadata and, for selected high-salience stories, a non-transferable CIP-68 token whose datum stores the same hash and descriptors. A “Verify on Cardano” button links users to the corresponding record and a proof page.

5. Community Feedback & Participation.

• Summary Reactions: Wallet sign-in using Cardano wallet web standard CIP-30. Users react to each summary (useful / unclear / missing context / potentially biased) with optional structured comments.
• Bias-Perception Voting: On outlet/journalist profiles, users cast perception votes (e.g., 5-point scales) on political orientation and reliability. We aggregate by unique wallet and time window, visualize distributions over time, and show divergence between indicators and community perception.
• Integrity: Signed payloads, rate limits, per-wallet caps, and basic anti-Sybil checks. Reactions and votes are stored off-chain for privacy/cost control; periodic batch hashes of aggregate tallies are anchored on Cardano for auditability.

**Tech stack and security. **Backend services (TypeScript/Go/Python) orchestrate ingestion, clustering, claim alignment, and anchoring. An indexer tracks story transactions for analytics. The mobile-first UI emphasizes clarity: story cards lead with Consensus facts, then Narrative differences and bias context. Security includes static analysis, dependency scanning, least-privilege keys, audit logs, and privacy-aware handling of user input.

Openness & replication. We open-source smart contracts and verification tooling, publish indicator criteria and methods, and document replication guidelines so other regions can adopt the approach with localized source packs.

[Your Project and Solution] Impact

Please define the positive impact your project will have on the wider Cardano community

For citizens and civil society.

Clear Consensus facts reduce uncertainty; Narrative differences reveal how agendas shape coverage; on-chain records make silent edits detectable. Community reactions surface blind spots; perception voting shows where audiences detect bias.

For journalists and independent media.

A neutral infrastructure—not a centralized arbiter—helps reporters compare how a story travels across outlets, cite source trails, and discover overlooked primary sources. Independent outlets gain visibility when their reporting anchors widely agreed facts.

For Cardano.

This prototype demonstrates public-interest utility: verifiable knowledge trails, wallet-based participation, and auditable community signals. By anchoring summaries and aggregate feedback hashes, Cardano becomes a trust-minimized backbone for media transparency. Argentina first; then replication with localized source packs and indicator criteria.

Broader outcomes.

Datasets and open code enable research on misinformation dynamics, media bias, and content integrity. The project creates a reusable pattern for civic technology that aligns with Cardano’s mission to deliver transparent, verifiable systems.

[Your Project and Solution] Capabilities & Feasibility

What is your capability to deliver your project with high levels of trust and accountability? How do you intend to validate if your approach is feasible?

Team Roles. Product lead; AI/NLP engineer; smart-contract/anchoring engineer; full-stack developer; DevOps/SRE; data PM; media/bias research lead; UX researcher in Argentina; legal/compliance advisor.

Feasibility. Scope focuses on delivering end-to-end value: ingest ~40 sources → cluster → extract/align claims → compute consensus → publish with indicators and source references → anchor a content hash on Cardano. Community modules (reactions, perception voting) use wallet standards, off-chain storage, and periodic on-chain anchoring for auditability.

Compliance. Funds are for future work; deliverables are publicly verifiable; final deployment targets a public testnet/mainnet MVP and required close-out artifacts (report and video).

[Milestones] Project Milestones

Milestone Title

Whitepaper & Planning

Milestone Outputs

1. Methodology Whitepaper v1 (consensus facts, bias indicators, origin, ethics).
2. Technical Architecture & Statement of Work (SoW) for ingestion, clustering, and on-chain anchoring.
3. Data Ingestion Plan with compliance review for Argentina (~40 sources mapped).
4. Pilot governance set-up: expert panel charter and 2 Letters of Intent (LoIs).

Acceptance Criteria

1. Whitepaper published with defined sections and review sign-off.
2. Architecture/SoW peer-reviewed; risks and mitigations logged.
3. Ingestion source list and legal review approved; test feeds verified.
4. Signed LoIs from partners; panel charter ratified.

Evidence of Completion

1. Public link to Whitepaper repo/PDF with changelog.
2. Architecture diagrams and repository commits; risk register.
3. Source spreadsheet/docs with compliance memo.
4. Scanned LoIs and meeting minutes stored in repo.

Delivery Month

2

Cost

17850

Progress

10 %

Milestone Title

Data Pipeline & Clustering Core

Milestone Outputs

1. Ingestion and clustering service for ~40 sources with near-duplicate detection and “story bundles.”
2. Outlet/journalist profile pages with visible bias indicators and admin review flow.
3. Claim extraction v1 and a labeled evaluation set.
4. On-chain anchoring (transaction metadata) and UI skeleton for Verify links.

Acceptance Criteria

1. Operational clustering across ≥10 representative stories; unit tests ≥80% coverage.
2. Profiles render indicators; reviewer workflow operational with audit trail.
3. ≥200 labeled claims created; alignment metrics reported.
4. ≥25 anchored summaries on testnet; Verify link demonstrated for each.

Evidence of Completion

1. Repository code, tests, and evaluation notes.
2. Admin UI screens, sample profiles, and audit logs.
3. Labeled dataset with walkthrough notebook.
4. Testnet transaction IDs and UI screen captures.

Delivery Month

5

Cost

23800

Progress

30 %

Milestone Title

Alignment, Consensus & Community Reactions

Milestone Outputs

1. Claim alignment and consensus computation producing Consensus facts/Narrative differences.
2. Verify on Cardano wired across stories; introduction of CIP-68 “Story Token” for a subset.
3. Community reactions module (useful/unclear/missing context/potentially biased) with CIP-30 sign-in.
4. Closed alpha with ≥25 curated users; weekly feedback loop.

Acceptance Criteria

1. End-to-end pipeline generates publishable story cards for ≥30 stories.
2. Verification works across ≥30 stories; ≥10 use CIP-68 tokens.
3. Reactions capture and moderation flow running; rate limits and signed payloads in place.
4. ≥25 active alpha users; weekly feedback reports published.

Evidence of Completion

1. Deployed alpha URL with sample outputs.
2. Screen captures and links to transactions/tokens.
3. Admin dashboard screenshots and logs.
4. Anonymized user roster and feedback summaries

Delivery Month

8

Cost

23800

Progress

60 %

Milestone Title

Bias-Perception Voting & Beta Hardening

Milestone Outputs

1. Bias-perception voting on outlet/journalist profiles (5-point scales) with aggregation and trend charts.
2. Anti-Sybil and moderation tooling (rate limiting, wallet-age checks) with anomaly detection dashboard.
3. Invite-only open beta with 35–45 testers; accessibility pass and usability fixes.
4. Security hardening (contracts and web) and release playbook for public MVP.

Acceptance Criteria

1. Per-wallet caps enforced; aggregated distributions published; divergence view between indicators and community perception.
2. Guardrails active; moderation queue operating; suspicious-vote alerts visible.
3. ≥40 invite-only testers; top usability issues resolved and documented.
4. Security issues triaged/closed; test reports ≥85% pass; public release runbook ready.

Evidence of Completion

1. Profile charts with published aggregation notes.
2. Moderator dashboard and audit logs.
3. Beta analytics dashboards and issue-tracker exports.
4. Security review notes and release playbook in repo.

Delivery Month

11

Cost

33800

Progress

80 %

Milestone Title

Public MVP, Testing, Feedback & Close-Out

Milestone Outputs

1. MVP deployed for public testing on Cardano testnet/mainnet; ≥50 real users onboarded.
2. Feedback and analytics report with adoption metrics and next-steps roadmap.
3. Project Close Out Report and Project Close Out Video.

Acceptance Criteria

1. Public URL live; ≥100 anchored summaries; ≥150 on-chain events; ≥50 unique wallets using Verify.
2. Report delivered with KPIs vs. targets and prioritized backlog.
3. Close Out Report and Video submitted and accepted.

Evidence of Completion

1. Public URL, transaction/token IDs, and release notes.
2. Analytics dashboards and compiled user feedback.
3. Submitted Report PDF and Video link.

Delivery Month

12

Cost

39750

Progress

100 %

[Final Pitch] Budget & Costs

Please provide a cost breakdown of the proposed work and resources

Total ₳119,000 (future work only).

• Engineering (AI/NLP, full-stack, anchoring): ₳72,000

• Data ops & labeling (evaluation sets): ₳17,000

• UX research & testing (Argentina): ₳8,000

• Infrastructure (ingestion, storage, analytics, pre-prod ops): ₳9,500

• Security & audit (contracts/app), QA: ₳8,500

• Legal/compliance review (sources, privacy, T&Cs): ₳5,500

• Community participation & expert panel stipends: ₳6,000

• Contingency (~6.3%): ₳8,000

Milestone split: M1 15% ₳17,850; M2 20% ₳23,800; M3 20% ₳23,800; M4 20% ₳23,800; Final 25% ₳29,750.

[Final Pitch] Value for Money

How does the cost of the project represent value for the Cardano ecosystem?

The MVP delivers a credible public-interest application of Cardano: verifiable knowledge trails, wallet-based participation, and auditable community signals. Open contracts and verification tooling enable reuse across regions. Focusing on Argentina yields measurable results with clear on-chain metrics and user engagement, allowing the community to verify impact and decide on future scaling. A precise Statement of Milestones and Close-Out deliverables ensures accountability and alignment with Cardano priorities.

[Self-Assessment] Self-Assessment Checklist

I confirm that evidence of prior research, whitepaper, design, or proof-of-concept is provided.

Yes

I confirm that the proposal includes ecosystem research and uses the findings to either (a) justify its uniqueness over existing solutions or (b) demonstrate the value of its novel approach.

Yes

I confirm that the proposal demonstrates technical capability via verifiable in-house talent or a confirmed development partner (GitHub, LinkedIn, portfolio, etc.)

Yes

I confirm that the proposer and all team members are in good standing with prior Catalyst projects.

Yes

I confirm that the proposal clearly defines the problem and the value of the on-chain utility.

Yes

I confirm that the primary goal of the proposal is a working prototype deployed on at least a Cardano testnet.

Yes

I confirm that the proposal outlines a credible and clear technical plan and architecture.

Yes

I confirm that the budget and timeline (≤ 12 months) are realistic for the proposed work.

Yes

I confirm that the proposal includes a community engagement and feedback plan to amplify prototype adoption with the Cardano ecosystem.

Yes

I confirm that the budget is for future development only; excludes retroactive funding, incentives, giveaways, re-granting, or sub-treasuries.

Yes

[Required Acknowledgements] Consent & Confirmation

I Agree

Yes