Robots are replacing journalists writing the news

If you've ever seen Google News then you know that the selection and placement of stories on that site is determined automatically by a computer program. But the stories themselves were all written by humans. Not for long. The Los Angeles Times is one of several newspapers now employing computers to write their articles. The stories are generated by an algorithm that is able to automatically compile information and churn out a readable article in seconds. A few days ago, the paper posted a story about an early morning earthquake within three minutes of the event. Drawing on reliable sources, such as the US Geological Survey and police crime logs, the robot writer is able to insert factual details into pre-written templates and immediately publish them. Robo-journalism is increasing in newsrooms worldwide and, as the technology gets more sophisticated, we can expect to see more of this to come.