Google Funds New Software Project That Will Automate Writing Local News

Megalith

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The Press Association (PA), the national news agency for the UK and Ireland, has been awarded over $800K to build software that can automate the writing of 30,000 local stories a month. Dubbed RADAR (Reporters And Data And Robots), the project aims to automate local reporting with large public databases from government agencies or local law enforcement, robotizing the work of reporters.

PA and Urbs Media have been offered the funds for RADAR – Reporters And Data And Robots – a new service which will create up to 30,000 localized stories each month from open data sets. RADAR is intended to meet the increasing demand for consistent, fact-based insights into local communities, for the benefit of established regional media outlets, as well as the growing sector of independent publishers, hyperlocal outlets and bloggers. RADAR will see journalists identifying national open databases from government departments, local authorities, NHS Trusts and more, and creating detailed story templates across a range of topics including crime, health and employment.
 
No way. I just can't see it. Someone has to "report" the information to the robot so reporters are still needed. Also what are they saying, that a robot can do a better job of writing a news report than a human? Depends on the human but I don't see it.
 
Well we live in a world where 90% of the news is simply rewording official press releases... so sure why not.

Perhaps this is a story when they can automate the creation of press releases. lol
 
There are many sites that do this already. A script downloads the arrest reports and call logs from police agencies and formats them and post them online.
 
I browse youtube at times and click on what looks interesting... only to find the topic being read in a robotic voice. minimal effort clickbait bullshit. Hate that shit.
 
Good timing cause I just read an article about how the news agencies are trying to form a guild to bargain with google and facebook, google says we plan to eliminate you before we get to that.
 
Sadly, I feel this has already happened as well. What with people tending to read only things that confirm their pre-existing biases...

It wouldn't tend to matter as much. You can lead a horse to water but you can't make him drink.
 
Great,

Google has proven that they will censor news (see anti trump bias and the recent CNN app review deletions).

Now they want us to trust them to write all news?
 
In the future:
Alphabet Funds New Software Project That Will Automate Writing Local Laws

Alphabet Funds New Software Project That Will Automate Writing Federal Laws

 
well... having seen the decline of journalism to what it is nowadays, this could be a good thing
 
well... having seen the decline of journalism to what it is nowadays, this could be a good thing

I agree! Reporters don't tell us the news anymore. Everything now gets spun with the particular political agenda's / viewpoints of the 'news' organization.
 
I agree! Reporters don't tell us the news anymore. Everything now gets spun with the particular political agenda's / viewpoints of the 'news' organization.

Walter Cronkite must be turning over in his grave ...
 
Will they have an internally adjustable setting that changes the political bias setting? Robots have prejudices too you know.
 
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