RTVE, as a test of innovation, will carry out a pioneering research project with Narrativa on municipal elections. A system based on artificial intelligence technologies will be used. The system will take data provided by official information sources, interpret it and transform it into news. The content will be related to the electoral information of the almost 5,000 municipalities in Spain with less than 1,000 inhabitants. The text created automatically in natural language, will always be reviewed by professionals who will check the informative, editorial and aesthetic quality.

The conceptual design, the structure of the product, and the style of the text will be prepared by RTVE over the course of the 30-month project. During this time, at least three complete tests will be carried out that simulate and validate the proposed models. In fact, given the dizzying speed with which Artificial Intelligence is evolving, more possibilities are being considered. For example, incorporating new technologies that complement and improve the scope of the project, such as the new GPT-3 language which was launched recently.

Content not treated by journalists

The information developed in this project is content that is not usually dealt with by journalists. Now it can be turned into articles in a matter of minutes, improving the quantity and quality of RTVE information dedicated to the elections in these municipalities. Artificial intelligence is a reality, no longer just a possibility. It has even been used in similar cases by various public corporations in Europe, such as the BBC in Great Britain, Yle in Finland or France TV in France.

The result of this work can only be used by RTVE in the Spanish municipal elections scheduled for 2023. It has not been considered for use by third parties. However, it may be put to appropriate use in subsequent elections, keeping in mind the criteria for updating and customizing the tool.

Narrativa: technology and experience

For this project, RTVE are putting their trust in Narrativa, a pioneering Spanish company in natural language generation (NLG). Narrativa will provide the artificial intelligence technology needed for the creation of narratives. Narrativa already has experience in the live broadcast of general elections. In 2019, a total of 40,000 news items were generated as it covered the election results of the more than 8,000 municipalities in Spain and including both provincial and national data.

RTVE’s professional broadcasting experience combined with Narrativa’s technology will result in a pioneering project in Spain. In addition, it will allow the public entity to position itself as a leading corporation in Europe.