Natural Language Processing Applications
What is natural language processing?
Natural Language processing (NLP) is the way we interact with AI and how a computer can take a sentence and break it down and analyze it by translating the words to a language the computer or AI better understands, sometimes breaking a sentence down to its bare minimum word by word and reducing them to a simpler form. Words like “walking” can be changed to “walk” for the Ai model translation.
Ways you use NLP already
We interact with AI almost everyday and have been for quite some time. When you call a customer service line and it asks what your reason for your call is, there isn't someone on the other end listening to each prompt and deciding which department they're going to forward your call to, it's an AI model listening to what you're saying using Speech-to-Text as a way to understand your needs. Apple's “Siri” works on a similar rule-based model until being redesigned as “Apple Intelligence” becoming more inline with generative AI.
AI uses NLP to learn to better serve you
Processed data is fed to an AI model to help it learn and minimize and extend its barriers to better understand and communicate back and forth with users. Non-generative AI like a personal assistant similar to Siri can still be complex in the way that it needs to understand all the different ways a user can ask for the phone to send a text, or for the phone to make a call to a specific person. You can ask for the AI to call, ring, telephone, holler, beckon and so forth and it would be able to take those words and translate it to an action in the programming.
Challenges with NLP
NLP can’t read tone or pronunciation in words which can be tough with many languages where some words can mean two things. For instance Ai the statement “take the lead” could be interpreted in two ways, to take charge, or to take a physical piece of lead metal. The AI model may ask for more detailed information in the topic if there isn't enough surrounding context for it to determine whether to gather the metal, or take charge of a situation.
NLP In Project Management
Currently NLP in project management is primary task based. This works this same similar to voice assistants like Siri and Alexa, you can ask it something along the lines of “ include team Bravo members Matt, Jake, Jacob, Beth and Ryan on a recurring meeting at 6pm on tuesdays” and the AI can be set up to know all the team members by name and include them on an email and send them alerts and schedule them into meetings.
Material & Research Gathered by:
Ryan Bishop