Plenary Lecture
Natural Language Computing: A Necessity for Cognitive Computing and Intelligent Internet
Professor Emdad Khan
Maharishi University of Management (MUM)
USA
E-mail: ekhan@mum.edu
Abstract: As computers, tablets, smart phones and other computing devices increasingly use voice, the best manmachine interface, the need for Natural Language Computing (NLC) and Cognitive Computing (CC) are growing fast. The use of NLC is even more important for smaller devices like Internet of Things (IoT). In fact, NLC and CC are becoming a necessity for next generation Internet (Intelligent Internet) – that supports key features like requesting a specific information (e.g. show me the pictures of last Saturday party), getting specific answer to a question, much more focused search results (like under 50 results versus today’s millions of hits), completing a transaction request spoken naturally, getting summary of an article, and drawing inference of a document. Today, unstructured data (dominated by natural language text) represent about 80% of the Internet content (the remaining 20 is structured data dominated by numerical data). Thus, the use of NLC to properly handle unstructured data - process, understand, analyze, summarize, draw inference and the like - is becoming a necessity. Summarization, drawing inference, answering complex questions, and handling complex requests need much deeper understanding, and hence need to derive new knowledge and intelligence which are key parts of Cognitive Computing. Clearly, Natural Language Computing is a necessity for Cognitive Computing. To handle such advanced issues related to Intelligent Internet and Cognitive Computing, we would need to address quite a few new things. The key is to use NLP based computing with a highly capable and efficient Semantic Engine. Such a Semantic Engine would address the needs of more capable text mining and natural language processing / understanding. The other key areas we would need are AI, Machine Learning, related advanced algorithms and Natural Language based UI (User Interface) with effective and efficient integration of all these – a complex multidisciplinary area. This talk will focus on NLC using natural semantics - semantics similar to the semantics that human brain uses as opposed to “mechanical semantics” that existing systems use with Predicate Logic, or Ontology or the like. A Semantic Engine using Brain-Like Approach (SEBLA) will be discussed to address the semantics (abstraction, representation, real meaning, and computational complexity) issue, and will show how to use SEBLA for NLC, with emphasis on deriving new knowledge, intelligence to support Cognitive Computing. Associated Machine Learning algorithms needed for unstructured data will also be briefly discussed. Natural Language computing will help many more people to enjoy the benefits of the Internet & Information Age in a much more effective and efficient way; thus enabling many more people around the world, especially, in the underdeveloped and developing countries to effectively bridge the Digital and Language Divides in a practical way, and help sustainable global development by focusing on Education, Innovation and Entrepreneurship.
Brief Biography of the Speaker: Dr. Emdad Khan is the Founder of InternetSpeech. He founded the company in 1998 with the vision to develop innovative technology for accessing information on the Internet anytime, anywhere, using just an ordinary telephone and the human voice. As a pioneer in the Internet voice space, Khan is a frequent speaker at Natural Language, Voice Recognition, Internet applications, bridging the Digital and Language Divides and other academia & industry conferences and trade shows. He holds 23 patents and has published more than 60 journal & conference papers on the advent of Intelligent Internet, content rendering, Natural Language Processing/Understanding, Big Data, Bioinformatics, Software Engineering, Neural Nets, Fuzzy Logic, Intelligent Systems, VLSI and optics. Khan’s acute technical knowledge and keen understanding of emerging markets has played an important role in the development of InternetSpeech’s key products/services including netECHO (Voice Internet that delivers complete Internet access via voice and any phone) and SEBLA (Semantic Engine using Brain-Like Approach). During his career, Khan invented, defined, developed and deployed worldwide new intelligent software products for micro-controller-based home appliances. He has also created and deployed speech recognition Internet applications. He has 20 years of experience with large semi-conductor companies, including Intel and National. He has also over 8 years of experience in academia. Khan is active in research. His current major interest is to use brain-like and brain-inspired algorithms to solve some open problems, especially, NLU (Natural Language Understanding) which is very well aligned with InternetSpeech’s next generation products & services to allow users (especially bottom of the pyramid people) to interact with the Internet using their natural language, and thus help their economic, social and other developments. Solving NLU problem using a Semantic Engine has numerous applications including Intelligent Search, Intelligent Information Retrieval, Question & Answer System, Summarization, Big Data, Analytics and more. These can be used in Biology, Economics, Finance, Manufacturing, Agriculture and the like; and are critical for Economic, Social, Cultural and other developments with increased World Peace, with special focus on Education, Innovation and Entrepreneurship. Khan’s recent interest is also exploring how the human brain uses vital communications, biological alphabets, and associated language to gain understanding of meanings of the communications, a basic necessity to clearly understand how biological systems work. This includes use of Science of Creative Intelligence & Vedic Science. He is the author of the book “Internet for Everyone: Reshaping the Global Economy by Bridging the Digital Divide”. He holds a doctorate in computer science, masters of science degrees in electrical engineering and engineering management, and a bachelor of science degree in electrical engineering. Khan is a faculty at Maharishi University of Management (MUM), USA. Khan is also a visiting Research Professor at the Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA.