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Robot Writes Better Sports Report Than Sports Reporter

by | 20th, April 2011

NPR writes on the software programme (a kind of robot) that wrote a better sports report than a sports reporter.

You feed it data, it processes that data, and it spits out a news story putting those numbers you gave it into context — just like you’d see in your local newspaper.

Reporters are Deadspin poo-pooed the idea.

Emma Carmichael, a writer for the site, read a report of a baseball match on George Washington University athletics website:

The University of Virginia’s Will Roberts had pitched a perfect game against George Washington. The story on GWSports.com neglected to mention that fact until the second to last paragraph.

“That was shocking,” Carmichael says. “This was the first time this had happened in the NCAA since 2002. And when it happens, you expect to see it in the headline and you expect to see everyone talking about that aspect of the game.”

The site assumed the robot had written the piece. Wrong. This was the human at work. Narrative Science then compiled a report and sent in to Deadspin to prove that its technology could do a better job. The report went:

Tuesday was a great day for W. Roberts, as the junior pitcher threw a perfect game to carry Virginia to a 2-0 victory over George Washington at Davenport Field.

Twenty-seven Colonials came to the plate and the Virginia pitcher vanquished them all, pitching a perfect game. He struck out 10 batters while recording his momentous feat. Roberts got Ryan Thomas to ground out for the final out of the game.

Tom Gately came up short on the rubber for the Colonials, recording a loss. He went three innings, walked two, struck out one, and allowed two runs.

The Cavaliers went up for good in the fourth, scoring two runs on a fielder’s choice and a balk.

Deadspin conceded that the machine did a better job.

Meanwhile, at the Daily Mail, the monkey press f9…



Posted: 20th, April 2011 | In: Sports Comment | TrackBack | Permalink