International Conference on Natural Language Generation

From 17 to 21 October, Utrecht will host the nineteenth edition of the International Conference on Natural Language Generation (INLG). The event will take place at the Dutch Railway Museum. This is the first time Utrecht University will serve as the host for the conference, which is being organised by the research group of Professor Albert Gatt, an expert in Natural Language Generation.

From AI-powered customer service chatbots to automatically generated weather reports, language generation by AI has become an integral part of our daily lives. The conference focuses on research into AI systems that automatically generate text or engage in naturalistic dialogue. As Gatt explains: “The central question in our field is how to develop AI systems that not only communicate clearly and in a human-like way, but also meet high standards in terms of quality, transparency, and ethical responsibility.”

The field is rapidly gaining relevance, according to Gatt. More and more businesses and organisations are adopting NLG, for example to generate reports, summaries, or to develop chatbots and virtual assistants. “Long before large language models like ChatGPT and Claude emerged, we were already researching how computers could generate human-like language and how to evaluate these systems, for example by checking for bias and discrimination in generated text, and by preventing hallucinations. That research is now more crucial than ever,” he emphasises.

While the conference is primarily aimed at the academic community, Gatt believes the programme will also appeal to a broader audience. “We’re not just targeting fellow researchers, but also companies and organisations whose work is impacted by developments in large language models and other generative technologies. Our community includes many young, talented researchers who are tackling relevant topics and will soon be entering the job market.” The programme will therefore feature a wide range of practical workshops, keynote speeches by internationally renowned researchers, and panel discussions with industry professionals.

The conference is open to interested participants from all sectors. For more information about the programme, registration, or participation opportunities, keep an eye on the website.