Natural Language Processing (NLP)
Definition: Natural language processing is a branch of artificial intelligence that helps computers understand, interpret, and use human language. It combines linguistics and machine learning so that AI systems can read, summarize, translate, and respond to text or speech in ways that make sense to people.
Example
An AI legal assistant that reviews a contract and highlights risky clauses is using natural language processing. It reads the document, analyzes the meaning of each sentence, and identifies language patterns that could signal potential issues.
Why It Matters?
Natural language processing powers nearly every AI tool that works with text, including those used in law. It allows lawyers to search faster, summarize documents, and extract key details from large sets of information. Understanding NLP helps legal professionals know what these tools can do well and where they might miss subtle legal meaning or context.