Computerized Journalists Make Mistakes Too

from the who-needs-humans? dept

Thu, Dec 14th 2006 1:39am — Mike Masnick

There have been plenty of stories recently about computerized reporting efforts (and, perhaps, computerized stock trading based on those reports). However, before media organizations embrace such things, they might want to have someone teach computerized reporters a sense of humor. We already know that humans don't always do a great job understanding sarcasm or jokes in the written word, but just imagine the problems computers have. Apparently, over in Russia, a pun in a news headline (written by a human) confused an automated reporting system into claiming someone had died. Apparently, there are still a few bugs to work out in these computerized reporters, so perhaps journalists shouldn't worry about their jobs just yet...

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The i-Team, 14 Dec 2006 @ 1:59am

"The search engine unapologetically notes that profiles may contain factual errors."
Doesn't this sound like one of the disclaimers at the end of all the documentary reports in "The Simpsons"??
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misanthropic humanist, 14 Dec 2006 @ 4:20am

easily fixed
Don't worry, the Isrealis have cracked natural language parsing (again).
Combined with their force field ray gun and teleportation device any reporting innacuracies can now be corrected by sending a cloaked AI Apache hellicopter back in time to take out the offices of the offending news source.
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Matthew, 14 Dec 2006 @ 5:26am

Oh no, the PC got it right.
This guy's dead. He just doesn't know it yet.

*Psst, get Polonium-poisoning insurance*

FTA
Hung a sign reading: --"Give people back the elections, bastards!"
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