Natural Language Understanding, Related Technologies, and Natural Language Applications
Natural language, in the form of both speech and writing, is how we communicate with other people. The ability to communicate with others using natural language is an important part of what makes us full members of our communities. The first words of young children are universally celebrated. Understanding natural language usually appears effortless, unless something goes wrong. When we have difficulty using language, either because of illness, injury, or just by being in a foreign country, it brings home how important language is in our lives.
In this chapter, we will describe natural language and the kinds of useful results that can be obtained from processing it. We will also situate natural language processing (NLP) within the ecosystem of related conversational AI technologies. We will discuss where natural language occurs (documents, speech, free text fields of databases, etc.), talk about specific natural languages (English, Chinese, Spanish, etc.), and describe the technology of NLP, introducing Python for NLP.
The following topics will be covered in this chapter:
- Understanding the basics of natural language
- Global considerations
- The relationship between conversational AI and NLP
- Exploring interactive applications
- Exploring non-interactive applications
- A look ahead – Python for NLP
Learning these topics will give you a general understanding of the field of NLP. You will learn what it can be used for, how it is related to other conversational AI topics, and the kinds of problems it can address. You will also learn about the many potential benefits of NLP applications for both end users and organizations.
After reading this chapter, you will be prepared to identify areas of NLP technology that are applicable to problems that you’re interested in. Whether you are an entrepreneur, a developer for an organization, a student, or a researcher, you will be able to apply NLP to your specific needs.
