6 Applications of Natural Language Processing

Introduction

 

The amount of knowledge that we know today has increased since the beginning of humanity. Science is the most valuable resource available to the human race, resulting from centuries of research on seemingly unrelated topics.

 

A picture is worth a thousand words, and people say that words are blown away. A human being, however, can use words to paint a picture without the aid of images. By describing emotions, sensations, and memories, a person can describe their own feelings, feelings no one else understands (apart from themselves).

 

Computers can converse in their native languages with humans using natural language processing and perform other tasks relating to language. NLP allows computer programs to read, hear, interpret, and detect important parts of text and speech.

 

(Must read: NLP Guide for beginners)

 

However technological advances that may surprise us today, what truly distinguishes us from machines is our ability to communicate. The lines that separate us are being shortened little by little as innovation continues.

 

Natural Language Processing was created by combining computational science and applied linguistics, and its objective is to compress and process information expressed in human language via computer-aided compression. People and machines can communicate with each other through this.

 

Although we may not realize it, NLP is everywhere. You automatically submit an error when you send an email without attaching the file that you referred to in the text. Your email application automatically corrects you, right? 

 

Here's what Natural Language Processing looks like in action. Despite the fact that NLP applications are rarely high-performing, they assist us with a number of our daily tasks.Although NLP is not as well-known as data or machine learning, it makes a huge difference.

 

 

Applications of NLP

 

Natural language processing is used for the following general purposes:

 

1. Virtual assistants and chatbots

 

AI-assisted conversational processes (or Virtual Assistants) are automating processes at a pace that drives productivity and efficiency. Currently, conventional chatbots are being replaced by advanced virtual assistants due to technological advancements. 

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Virtual Chatbot

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An Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbot simulates conversations with humans. These systems follow automated rules and are equipped with machine learning (ML) and natural language processing (NLP). The development of chatbots has enabled them to analyze data and respond to various commands and requests.

 

By using natural language processing, you can ask Siri to turn on the lights in your kitchen or change the song playing in the background. A virtual assistant usually identifies a contact's address or locates the address of the person on the internet based on the words they hear on their devices.

 

Chatbots do something similar — they respond to user messages based on keywords they identify. Depending on each interaction's complexity, they are able to learn new interactions, and they are very helpful for answering common but simple queries.

 

(Related reading: Conversational AI)

 

2. Auto-correction of text

 

Using the auto-fill or auto-correct functions of a word processing program will make your writing easier and less prone to errors. 

 

A dictionary interface integrated into the application in one or more languages identifies spelling, grammar, and even mistakes, and allows the addition of predefined phrases. 

 

With such an application, you can add or remove words to the dictionary as needed, so you can use it more efficiently.

 

(Also read: What is Text Mining?)

 

For grammar checks and autocorrection, there are two major tools available:

 

• Grammarly

 

With Grammarly, you can easily check for grammar, spelling, punctuation, and more errors.

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Grammarly Homepage

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Language experts from around the world designed Grammarly. It's fast and dependable, and the interface is well-designed. 

 

This software even checks for grammatical errors like commas that shouldn't be there, passive voice, subject-verb agreement, and much more.

 

• Ginger

 

Using this contextual spelling checker, the most appropriate correction is identified for each sentence. Besides improving your ability to write, it boosts your productivity as well. 

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Grammar checker homepage

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In addition to a contextual spell checker and punctuation checker, you can also read and translate text through this software and update the dictionary.

 

3. Detection of spam in email

 

The types of spam emails vary. They generally aim to spread false information or bring attention to a cause. In some of these emails, a malicious link or malware is attached in order to trick recipients into clicking on it.

 

Email systems use keywords to identify spam and scan for software that could damage devices or steal information.

 

As in Gmail, you can also categorize your emails into favorites, advertising, and social if you wish. Due to NLP today, this is possible.

 

4. Paraphrasing and rewriting the passages

 

Honest academic writers can benefit from paraphrasing as well. In order to put information in the writer's own words, paraphrasing is crucial. 

 

It is essential for writers to be able to understand what the original text truly means in order to paraphrase it. Writing about a topic that the writer is knowledgeable about will help the writer better comprehend the subject matter. 

 

There are many types of plagiarism. Plagiarism is a fraud no matter if it's intentional, unintentional, cited, or not. The author's credit is given when citations are included in a paper as they add authority and expertise. 

 

When writers paraphrase, they are able to use their own words and better understand the original text. Plagiarism can be avoided if a student correctly cites and paraphrases.

 

(Suggested blog: AI algorithms/models)

 

Here are some online tools that use NLP to produce a paraphrased version of a text:

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• Paraphraser.io

Paraphaser’s working

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There are numerous features of this online paraphrase tool, such as rewriting essays, removing plagiarism, and rewording articles. You can use it to change words and rephrase sentences.

 

Using Paraphraser.io, the text is rephrased on a human level. There will be no plagiarism in the final product.

 

Using natural language processing, this paraphrasing tool is the most sophisticated AI rewriter. Paraphrases and complete articles can be generated.

 

With this AI-based tool, the meaning remains intact when sentence structure is changed, unlike other paraphrasers.

 

• Paraphrasing tool by Prepostseo 

 

Prepostseo Paraphrasing tool can help you to Rephrase Online a written document to remove plagiarism.

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Paraphrasing original content

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Synonyms and sentence structures are changed to make sentences appear different in this method.

To ensure that a document is plagiarism-free, it must be rephrased. Writers are able to take advantage of paraphrased documents at any time since they are unique and uncopied. 

These features are all a result of the natural language processing used by this tool.

 

• Rephrase.info

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Rephrase.info working

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User engagement on a website can be increased with quality written content. Utilize rephrase.info to create compelling and competitive content.

 

It is 100% free to paraphrase with this tool. Rephrasing is available without signing up or providing credit card information.

 

The results from rephrase.info are more precise and accurate in comparison to other paraphrasers. There is no other paraphrasing tool like this one, and it is free to use.

 

The tool allows you to write precise information along with unique content. It provides only relevant paragraphs when paraphrasing and excludes extra information.

 

 

5. Text Analytics using NLP

 

Different methods of linguistics, statistical analysis, and machine learning are used in text analytics to transform unstructured text into meaningful data. 

 

Brands may find sentiment analysis intimidating, especially if they have a large customer base. Typically, NLP tools comb through social media comments or reviews, as well as brand mentions, to determine what the customer is saying. 

 

In order to improve the customer experience, brands can use the data acquired from these interactions to determine the success of marketing campaigns or monitor trends among customers. 

 

In addition to keyword extraction, NLP can help in finding structure or patterns in unstructured text data.

 

NLP is used widely in the digital world, and its applications are likely to grow as more businesses and industries recognize and embrace its value. 

 

Human touch is vital for more complex communications issues; however, NLP will improve our lives by automating smaller tasks first and then progressing to complex ones once the technology is advanced.

 

(Related blog: Top NLP Trends in 2021)

 

 

6. Search Results

 

Have you ever tried using a search engine and received results that were unrelated to what you were looking for? Over the years, natural language processing has evolved to understand communication and the relationship between certain terms better. 

 

It isn't just about how popular a word is, but also about removing irrelevant results from the search engine results. By excluding information related to the breed of dogs, you can query around a keyword, such as "German Shepherd".

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Google search engine

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The search engines, on the other hand, may already be able to understand your intention to search. Search engines correct mistakes in letters or when you enter a mistaken spelling for a name you don't know, and they show the correct spelling (or provide the original term or phrase).

 

What about images and videos? In alt-text, the image is described crisply so viewers with vision problems can understand what the multimedia file with which they read on their device is about, and it is used by search engines to properly identify and relate content to user queries.

 

 

Last words

 

By developing language efficiently, humans have clearly differentiated themselves from other species. Our constant communication involves words, gestures, and speaking. 

 

We surround ourselves with signs, symbols, numbers, as well as ones and zeros. Our NLP tools are fundamental in enabling us to train our machines to interact with the environment in a much more flexible manner, giving us the ability to better understand, explain ourselves: to communicate.

 

(Must read: Examples of NLP)

 

NLP tools and techniques must be understood so that we can use them appropriately to solve a problem.