Definition

Natural Language Processing (NLP), is the sub-field of AI that is focused on enabling computers to understand and process human languages. NLP focuses on the interactions between computers and human (natural) languages.

A simple way to understand this is to visualize how a child learns to speak. Firstly, they learn the basic words, then the basic grammar rules, and then they begin to slowly build complexity by learning figures of speech, or other alternative ways to communicate.

Computers learn in much the same way, starting out with simple structures, and ending with trying to understand the irony in a sentence. This can either be taught via a person giving the machine understanding or through feeding large amounts of data via algorithms to give a depth of meaning to the machine of human to human communication.

In automation at this moment, NLP is used to underpin capabilities in chatbots and virtual agents in human conversation. All with the end goal in mind of a machine being able to communicate to the same efficacy as a person.

Natural Language Processing in RPA

In voice assistants, chat bots and automated emails, the integration of NLP provides a humanistic touch to take the user experience to the next level. While implementing NLP into automation is a bit time consuming, it can easily prove to be worthwhile. Today NLP solutions are mature enough to solve data / insight extraction / classification of interactions from complex documents conveniently and cost-effectively. NLP is one of the widely used ingredient in the journey towards Intelligent Automation.