OPTIMIZED SYSTEMS

Computers Could Be the Journalists of the Future

Rebecca Kutzer-Rice | Date: 09-23-11 | Comments

A Chicago-based startup is challenging the traditional difference between humans and machines. The company offers computer-written newspaper articles, but its software can also be used to write business presentations that interpret sales reports and market research.

While computers are mastering skills such as medicine and law, certain creations like art and writing have always seemed innately human and impossible for any machine to undertake. A startup company, however, is changing that belief with a computer capable of generating captivating article copy.

Based in Chicago, Narrative Science aims to create software programs proficient at journalistic writing that doesn't sound machine-written. "Every story is generated entirely from scratch and is always unique," the company's Website explains.

Key to the system is the software's ability to interpret data. It works especially well for data-heavy topics in need of hard analysis, such as sports, real estate and financial reports. Using scores from a baseball game, for example, it can determine whether a team effort was at work or if an individual player excelled. The software is also able to craft subtler stories on topics like political polls.

In addition to journalistic copy creation, the software can write business presentations that interpret sales reports and market research, and summarize advertisement campaigns.

According to a recent article in the New York Times, Narrative Science has 20 clients, including newspaper chains. Most of the companies are using the software to report on neglected topics, like local sports.

"Mostly, we're doing things that are not being done otherwise," Stuart Frankel, CEO, told the Times.

For machine-created content, the materials are surprisingly customizable. Narrative Science offers different points of view, voices and lengths. Articles are search-engine optimized and promise original material. The software can also create content more quickly than its human counterparts�promising especially for sports news and elections.

Still, unlike a human, the technology can't write sophisticated analysis or editorial copy, key for higher-level journalism�at least, not yet.