Yahoo Japan Corporation
NewsPicks, Inc.
Zender inc.
Interspace Co., Ltd.
- API of the natural language processing model (AI) introduced as a countermeasure against objectionable comments, will be provided free of charge
- Yahoo! JAPAN will externally provide patent-pending technology for evaluating constructive comments, with the goal of improving the integrity of the Internet space for the entire industry
For more details (Japanese only)
Yahoo Japan Corporation (hereinafter “Yahoo! JAPAN”) begins free provision of the API (application program interface) for the technology to evaluate comments using the deep learning-based natural language processing model (AI) (hereinafter, “AI Technology”). This AI Technology, currently used to improve the quality of “Yahoo! JAPAN News Comments,” will be introduced in three services, “NewsPicks,” “Kouryaku Daihyakka,” and “mamasta community”. Other operators that allow users to post comments also plan to introduce this AI Technology in the future.
<Comments from companies adopting this AI Technology>
■NewsPicks, Inc.
The comment section of NewsPicks is operated using our own algorithm, and we are working to create a healthy community while securing a forum for free speech. In order to continue to operate a sound platform, we believe it is necessary to actively address comments that violate the Terms of Service, such as slander, and to improve psychological safety.
<Name of service>
Economic news media “NewsPicks”
NewsPicks is a social economic media that distributes news from 100 media around the world, including The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times, as well as original articles created by the NewsPicks’ editors. NewsPicks offers a multifaceted approach to reading news, with comments posted by celebrities and experts in each industry.
<Method of use>
To be used as an auxiliary tool for finding statements that violate the Terms of Service.
■Zender inc.
Many users actively exchange various opinions in the comment section of the articles on game strategies provided by Kouryaku Daihyakka.
However, we faced the problem that useful information often became buried under excited comments when there is a surge in the number of these excited comments.
We expect that using the AI Technology of Yahoo! JAPAN News will facilitate users to find useful information to better enjoy the games.
<Name of service>
Kouryaku Daihyakka
Kouryaku Daihyakka is a game strategy website that provides users with useful information for enjoying games. It provides a variety of strategy information on a daily basis, focusing on home video games and smartphone game applications.
<Method of use>
To be introduced in a “Recommendations” tab to prioritize the comments with the best scores.
■Interspace Co., Ltd.
In order for the users of “mamasta community” to use our service safely and securely, we have faced the challenge of quickly identifying objectionable postings and taking appropriate measures. We will continue to improve the soundness of our services with high expectations that the introduction of the AI Technology will enable us to take highly accurate and speedy countermeasures and responses.
<Name of service>
mamasta community
The website is used at various moments as a place for mothers to communicate with each other, not only about parenting, housework, and family issues, but also to relax and talk about problems that are difficult to discuss with others. It is characterized by the high level of enthusiasm of its users and the active exchange of opinions.
<Method of use>
When monitoring comments by human patrols, a score calculated by AI will be used to improve detection accuracy for inappropriate content.
From 2007, Yahoo! JAPAN News provides Yahoo! JAPAN News Comment, a function that allows users to post their opinions and comments on the distributed articles. The purpose of this function is to enable users to come in contact with various opinions through the news article and to provide an opportunity to gain new perspectives. In order to create a sound forum of speech, Yahoo! JAPAN News takes measures against inappropriate postings using Yahoo! JAPAN’s own deep learning-based natural language processing model (AI), in addition to human patrols by a specialized team. Through such measures, Yahoo! JAPAN News deletes an average of approximately 20,000 inappropriate comments per day, including slanderous and defamatory comments.
In addition, aiming to enhance the soundness and to enrich the forum for speech, Yahoo! JAPAN News has introduced its own technology, “Constructive comment ranking model” from 2018. Using the deep learning-based natural language processing model (AI), comments that meet certain conditions such as “objective, and if necessary, provide evidence,” “provide new ideas, solutions or insights” are scored high, and the high-scoring comments are displayed at the top.
The technology provided by Yahoo! JAPAN free of charge this time is the technology related to the “Constructive comment ranking model.” By introducing this AI Technology used in Yahoo! JAPAN News, which has on average more than 310,000 comments per day*1, operators that allow users to post comments will be able to provide a sound comment feature in their services, without initial investment in large amount of training data and computational cost required for AI development. Please note that several patents are pending for this AI Technology.
As part of its corporate social responsibility and with a commitment to ensuring transparency in this AI Technology and respect in the diversity of opinions, Yahoo! JAPAN will provide this AI Technology also to various operators of services that allow users to comment, and lead the industry as a whole to improve the soundness of the Internet in Japan.
*1 As of December 31, 2020
＜More on the provision of AI Technology＞
■ Constructive comment ranking model
Constructive comment ranking model allocates higher scores to comments that meet any of thefollowing conditions.
・Comments that stimulate discussions triggered by the opinion of the person who wrote thecomment
・Comments that are objective and, if necessary, that provide evidence.
・Comments that provide new ideas, solutions, or insights.
・Comments about unusual experiences related to the article.
■ Usage examples
Companies that introduce this technology will be able to use the comments with scores in variouscases. For example,
・To improve display order: use the assigned scores as the value for display order of comments
・To improve patrol efficiency: give patrol priority to comments with low scores・Recommendations: prioritize articles with high-socring comments, etc.
＜Related information＞
Yahoo! JAPAN Begins Free Provision of API of Its Deep Learning-Based Natural Language Processing Model (AI), a Model Used In Yahoo! JAPAN News as a Measure to Address Objectionable Comments (Released on September 18, 2020) (Japanese only)
Yahoo! JAPAN Develops Response Actions and Future Policy Against Defamatory Posts Towards Individuals (Released on December 23, 2020) (Japanese only)