You wouldn’t think you’d need a clever piece of software to spot a sarcastic comment when you saw one, but French company Spotter saw the need for this software and has developed an analytics tool that is apparently able to spot and flag sarcastic comments posted online.
“Thanks Air France for getting us to London two hours late”
Spotter’s clients include Home Office, EU Commission, Dubai courts and Air France, and it says the algorithm-based software can generate reputation reports with 80% accuracy based on comments found on social media. The rationale for developing this software comes from the fact that human language is nuanced, using semantics and linguistics to convey sentiment not always expressed directly.
In case you don’t believe the accuracy of the reports, they can also be verified by human analysts if the client requests, after all, there must be some things lost in translation when the algorithm is processing 29 different languages right?
When spotting sarcasm makes you rich
Developers of the software say one of the most common situations that receive sarcasm is bad service – particularly when it comes to travel delays. And when social media moves at the pace it does and business reputation is on the line, companies are prepared to fork out for the service. Spotter charges a minimum £1 000 per month for its services.