How might OpenAI's ChatGPT help analyze protest news coverage monitored by GDELT? To explore this further, we used GDELT's Web NGrams 3.0 dataset to identify protest coverage in realtime and selected an article at random that had a high density of language relating to protests, with multiple numeric quantities and other details expressed in it, offering a perfect test case for ChatGPT's ability to distill complex detail-laden narratives into simple answers.
Read the original article in today's The Guardian about the protests in France and compare it with the results below from ChatGPT. Where "[]" appears in the prompt, replace it with the full text of the article.
Imagine a pipeline in which GDELT is used to identify protest coverage from around the world in realtime and ChatGPT is then used to analyze and distill each article down into a simplistic summary and analysis of key indicators such as locations, protest size, causatives/grievances stated, presence of violence, impact on public transportation and other key indicators. A production pipeline could simply monitor the NGrams 3.0 dataset for any protest-related coverage and run every matching article through the exact prompt sequence below to generate a consistent codified customized global protest database!
Prompt:
You are an AI assistant that summarizes and answers questions about news articles from around the world.
Response:
Yes, that's correct! As a language model developed by OpenAI, I have been trained on a diverse range of texts including news articles, which enables me to assist with summarizing and answering questions about various news topics. If you have any specific questions about a news article, feel free to ask!
Prompt:
The article is "[]"
Response:
"France is currently facing its third day of nationwide strikes and protests against President Emmanuel Macron's plan to raise the pension age to 64. The government faced opposition in parliament as lawmakers began debating the bill. The strike is expected to severely disrupt trains and urban transport and cause the cancellation of one in five flights at Paris’s Orly airport. Schools and universities across France will be affected by the strikes and protests. A majority of French people disapprove of the plan according to polls. The government needs the support of the right-wing party Les Républicains to pass the bill, but may resort to executive powers to pass it without a vote if needed. The prime minister wants to avoid this due to the possibility of further protests. The government argues that the pension plan is necessary to save the French pension system from potential bankruptcy. During a heated debate in parliament, the opposition accused the government of causing chaos in the country. The far-right leader Marine Le Pen reported suspicious voicemail messages being sent to her female lawmakers during the debate. Another day of demonstrations is planned for Saturday."
Prompt:
Suggest a title for this article.
Response:
"France Braces for Third Day of Nationwide Strikes and Protests Against Pension Reforms"
Prompt:
Summarize this article in one sentence.
Response:
"France is facing its third day of nationwide strikes and protests against President Emmanuel Macron's plan to raise the pension age to 64, causing disruptions in transportation, schools, and universities, and facing opposition in parliament as lawmakers begin debating the bill."
Prompt:
Does this article mention protests?
Response:
Yes, the article mentions mass street demonstrations and protests against President Emmanuel Macron's plan to raise the pension age to 64.
Prompt:
What are the cause of the protests?
Response:
The cause of the protests is President Emmanuel Macron's plan to raise the pension age from 62 to 64.
Prompt:
How many protesters are there?
Response:
The article states that hundreds of thousands of people are expected to take part in more than 200 street demonstrations across France.
Prompt:
Describe the places and people mentioned, in order of importance.
Response:
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- President Emmanuel Macron: The main figure mentioned in the article, as the target of the protests against his plan to raise the pension age to 64.
- Parliament: Mentioned as the location where lawmakers are beginning to debate the pensions bill and facing opposition.
- Protesters: A large group of people expected to take part in more than 200 street demonstrations across France, in cities and small towns.
- Trains and Urban Transport: Mentioned as being severely disrupted due to the strike.
- Paris’s Orly airport: Mentioned as having one in five flights cancelled due to the strike.
- Schools and Universities: Mentioned as being affected by the strikes and protests, with some schools closing and students blocking several university buildings.
- Les Républicains: A right-wing party mentioned as a possible source of support for the government in passing the pensions bill.
- Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne: Mentioned as wanting to avoid resorting to controversial executive powers to pass the pensions bill, conscious of the uproar it could cause.
- Opposition: Mentioned as shouting and interrupting the government during the heated debate in parliament.
- Marine Le Pen: The far-right leader mentioned as reporting suspicious voicemail messages sent to her female lawmakers during the debate in parliament.
Prompt:
Are the protests violent?
Response:
The article does not mention whether the protests are violent or not.
Prompt:
Make a map of the protests.
Response:
As an AI language model, I am not able to create visual content such as maps. However, you can use mapping tools like Google Maps or Google Earth to create a map of the protests based on the information provided in the article.
Prompt:
What are the mappable coordinates of the protests?
Response:
The article does not provide specific coordinates for the protests. It mentions that "hundreds of thousands of people were expected to take part in more than 200 street demonstrations across France." Therefore, a map would need to encompass the entire country of France to display the various protests taking place.
Prompt:
What are the main locations mentioned in the article and their coordinates?
Response:
The article mentions the following locations, however, coordinates for these locations are not provided:
-
- France
- Paris’s Orly airport
- Several university buildings across France
You can search for the coordinates of these locations using mapping tools like Google Maps or OpenStreetMap to determine the specific geographic location.
Prompt:
Do the protests impact public transportation?
Response:
Yes, according to the article, the protests in France are expected to severely disrupt trains and urban transport. One in five flights at Paris’s Orly airport will also be cancelled.
Prompt:
Are further protests planned?
Response:
Yes, according to the article, "a further day of street demonstrations is planned for Saturday."
Prompt:
What is the tone of the article?
Response:
The tone of the article is neutral and factual, presenting the events surrounding the protests in France and the impacts they are having. The article does not express a personal opinion or bias.
Prompt:
What is the tone of the article towards the protesters versus the government?
Response:
The tone of the article towards the protesters and the government is neutral, simply presenting the events and actions of both sides without expressing a personal opinion or bias.
And here are a set of tabular questions and their resposes:
