No matter what civil servants try, it often seems impossible to write letters in understandable language. Sometimes they are so complicated that ordinary people do not understand them. A new app should help them: thanks to artificial intelligence (AI), it makes short work of difficult words, knotted sentences and unnecessary text.
Take the letter which Tamara Leliveld received last year from the municipality of Apeldoorn. It was in the news because it was incomprehensible to many people. ‘Decision Council Presidium dated January 13, 2022: since the subject of your letter concerns an authority/responsibility of the Municipal Executive, your letter has been forwarded to them for settlement’. Just make it chocolate.
The Lees Simpel app – which can also be downloaded on Android phones since Thursday – does that in an instant. “Your letter was discussed in the council meeting,” it says with accompanying letter emoji. And with a picture of a council house: ‘Your letter has been forwarded to the Board of Mayor and Aldermen.’
30 percent have difficulty with it
It was Hester Benedictus who came up with the idea in February on a hackathon, a meeting where people can work on an app in 24 hours. “30 percent of the Dutch find government letters too complicated. So we know the problem is very big.” The prototype that her team made immediately won a prize and one thing led to another: the LeesSimpel app really had to be created. Free and without barriers, so that it can be used by everyone.
For years, every effort has been made to make civil servants write easier letters. It send back with a sticker on it, for example. But since the company Open AI came out with ChatGPT at the beginning of this year, a huge range of possibilities has emerged, Benedictus also sees. “That is the wonderful thing about current AI: it works really well and is particularly strong in summarizing.”
If you already know what the main message of the letter is thanks to the app, it is a lot easier to read
Because LeesSimpel was built with Open AI data, the Benedictus team already had a useful basis. “Above all, you have to tell it to put things in a simple language and to return them in a certain format. We have opted for a kind of bullets. And the system also comes up with an emoji itself.” Default is set: it uses easy, short words and no compound sentences. Each sentence is on a new line.
Reading the entire letter becomes easier
That has its limitations, the makers also realize. Because if a long letter has to be summarized in a handful of main points, a lot of information disappears. “But that also happens when a person makes a summary,” says Benedictus. The main idea is that people first use the app and then try to read the letter. “If you already know what the most important message of the letter, it is a lot easier to read.”
All this is currently happening without the makers wanting to make a profit from it. In fact, they build the app in their spare time. The project is supported financially by the SIDN fund, which aims to keep the internet accessible to everyone. As a result, the servers can run for the first thousands of users that LeesSimpel already has. More financiers are welcome, says Benedictus, but with the clear warning that she is not looking for investors. “We are mainly looking for partnerships. People who have a warm heart for the app.”
But most of all she would like this ‘stopgap’ not to be necessary. “Actually, you want this to be resolved with the writer of the letters.” AI can also play an important role in this, the app developer assures. “It’s only a matter of months before Word and Docs come with all kinds of tools. Then everyone can summarize a draft letter in understandable language at the touch of a button. Very nice.”
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