Aos Fatos launched this Thursday Fátima 3.0, an upgrade of its fact-checking chatbot which incorporates generative artificial intelligence into its WhatsApp and Telegram versions.
This technology, used in products such as ChatGPT, allows Fátima to give more relevant and naturally sounding responses. Instead of relying on pre-programmed texts, it can craft personalized messages that directly address users' questions, like in a conversation.
The new version of the tool has been in public beta since November 2023 and is now available to all users of these messaging platforms. The development of Fatima 3.0 was supported by the Heinrich Böll Foundation and WhatsApp.
“Fátima is an example of Aos Fatos' continuous commitment to innovation. Its first version was launched in 2018 and, since then, the project has been constantly updated, maintaining its relevance to readers and its status as an award-winning reference in journalism. This new version continues this trajectory and shows how AI can be used ethically and responsibly to create new ways to engage with our audience,” says Tai Nalon, executive director of Aos Fatos.
AI safety
One of the challenges in developing the new Fátima was to create features that would minimize errors typically associated with AI models. For instance, all the answers are generated solely based on content published on Aos Fatos' website, as advocated by Aos Fatos' Artificial Intelligence Policy.
Other security mechanisms implemented include:
- Integration of the chatbot with Aos Fatos' publisher, ensuring Fátima's database is updated as soon as the newsroom publishes or updates a story;
- Performance tests with different language models;
- A periodic manual testing protocol to assess the accuracy of the generated responses;
- Automated metrics generation to monitor the quality of the bot's replies.
“The potential for improving the user experience became evident when we developed a prototype using a language model in Fátima. But before rolling out this version to all readers, we wanted to ensure that the tool is reliable and safe,” says Bruno Fávero, innovation director at Aos Fatos.
In addition to WhatsApp and Telegram, the bot can be accessed on Aos Fatos website. Later this year, the web app will feature a new interface developed by the Alles Blau studio, which developed Aos Fatos' new visual identity.
Awards
Created in 2019, Fátima has been updated over the last few years to incorporate new technologies and make fact-checking simpler and more accessible.
Since its launch, the project has been recognized for its contribution to journalism and the fight against disinformation. In April, Fátima received the Digital Media Americas Awards 2024 from the World Association of News Publishers (WAN-IFRA) for “Best Use of AI in the Newsroom” and “Best Fact-Checking Project”.
In 2023, Fátima’s strategy for the 2022 elections on Telegram won the “Best In Audience Engagement” category of the same award. In 2019, the project’s first version won the Innovation category of the Cláudio Weber Data Journalism Award.
