"Spinoza": RSF presents AI tool for journalism
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has developed "Spinoza", an AI-supported software designed to support media professionals in their work. The tool was designed in collaboration with journalists and publishers and will be available as open source once the project phase is complete.
With "Spinoza", RSF aims to offer an AI solution that facilitates journalistic work without replacing it. The software is based on an extensive database of scientific publications, legal texts and media reports. It is designed to help media professionals research complex topics more quickly and prepare fact-based reports.
In a pilot phase, 281 French media professionals tested the tool with a focus on climate change and the environment. "Spinoza" enabled them to efficiently synthesize large amounts of data and substantiate it with reliable sources. However, the editorial classification of the results remains the task of the journalists using the tool.
"RSF attaches great importance to taking an ethical and responsible approach to AI," says Thibaut Bruttin, Director General of RSF. Innovation should not lead to the marginalization of journalism, but rather strengthen its technological sovereignty, Thibaut continues.
The tool will be published on the open source platform Hugging Face so that media professionals can adapt it to their own needs. In the test phase, "Spinoza" is available in English and French. In future, it could also be used and further developed in Switzerland.
