If you’ve ever taken an introductory programming class, there’s a good chance the instructor said: “Computers are stupid.” They only do what they’re told, and only within the confines of what can be represented in logic. The intent is to remind students that computers aren’t intelligent thinking machines — like Star Trek’s Data — but rather tools that must be instructed in a very particular way. That axiom remains true, although it glosses over the fact that computers have — through the power of sophisticated AI models — have recently become very capable at understanding the meaning and intent of spoken or written language. Natural Language Processing (NLP) describes a broad field of study that focuses precisely on that. You probably interact with NLP technology in your daily lives — whether asking Alexa or Siri to play your favorite music, or using ChatGPT to explain a complicated subject in layperson’s.