When a Machine Writes the News
当机器来写新闻
Some sports results and financial reports are now written automatically by computer programs. The text appears within seconds of the event, far faster than any human reporter could possibly manage.
如今一些体育赛果和股市快讯，已经由电脑程序撰写。文字在事件发生后几秒内就出现，比任何人类记者都快。
For simple, factual stories this works extremely well, because the numbers are already correct. A program that knows the final score can produce a clear, accurate paragraph in one fixed language pattern.
对于简单的事实型报道，这套办法很好用，因为数字本来就是准确的。一个知道比分的程序，可以用同一个句式写出清楚、准确的段落。
The limits become obvious as soon as a story needs any real judgement. A machine cannot decide which detail matters most, or what a genuinely surprising result really means.
一旦报道需要判断力，局限就出现了。机器无法决定哪个细节最重要，也无法说清一个出人意料的结果到底意味着什么。
So the useful question is not whether machines are able to write at all. It is which parts of the work should be handed over to them, and which parts must stay human.
所以真正有用的问题不是「机器能不能写」。而是「哪些部分该交出去，哪些必须留给人来做」。