One script, thousands of stories: What NLG means for data journalism

Natural language generation (NLG) is tricky to describe but easy to get excited about once you know how it works.

Put simply, it involves the creation of scripts, written in code, that determine how structured data is outputted as natural language text.

That might sound dry, until you realise you can use NLG to instantly create unique articles about:
· Every electorate in an election, as soon as the seats are called (BBC)
· Every company’s financial results, as soon as these are released (AP)
· Every basketball game, as soon as the final whistle blows (Bavarian Broadcasting)

The ABC’s Future Focus and Data Services teams are using NLG to power a voice app for ABC Emergency, which will give instant emergency information for any town or suburb in Australia.

Jules Fell and Michael Collett will show you what the NLG scripts for that project look like, along with everything else they have learned about this exciting field along the way.

Speakers:
Jules Fell, developer at ABC's Data Services
Michael Collett, conversation designer at ABC's Future Focus