What is Natural language processing (NLP)?
Getting computers to work with human language, in text or speech.
In plain English
NLP covers tasks such as translating, summarising, classifying text, pulling names out of documents and answering questions. Older systems used hand-written rules and statistics. Modern ones mostly use large language models.
Example
Sorting customer emails into topics, or turning a recorded call into a written summary.
Easy to confuse with
- Large language model (LLM): NLP is the field. A large language model is one powerful tool used within it.
Where you will meet it
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Related terms
- Large language model (LLM): A very large neural network trained on huge amounts of text to predict and generate language.
- Tokens: The small chunks of text that a language model reads and writes, and that usage is measured in.
- Machine learning: Software that learns patterns from data instead of following rules written by hand.
Quick answers
What is Natural language processing (NLP)?
Getting computers to work with human language, in text or speech.
What is the difference between Natural language processing (NLP) and Large language model (LLM)?
NLP is the field. A large language model is one powerful tool used within it.
Test yourself
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