Natural Language Generation (NLG)

Natural language generation (NLG), a form of Generative AI, is an AI-driven technology that transforms structured data into human-like narratives. These narratives convey complex insights and serve as the foundation for the automated generation of various forms of content, including reports, articles, and summaries derived from intricate datasets.

How is NLG different from NLP?

NLG transforms data into human-readable text, while natural language processing (NLP) focuses on extracting numerical data from textual sources. NLG streamlines the comprehension of numerical data by generating reader-friendly summaries, eliminating the need for extensive manual data analysis. In contrast, NLP reads and extracts critical numerical insights from human-written text, efficiently summarising research findings. In simple terms, NLG acts as a writer, while NLP functions as a reader in data interpretation.

What are the core components of NLG?

NLG operates through an intricately designed framework comprised of core components:

Data input

At its genesis, NLG relies upon structured data, encompassing numerical values, chronological data, factual information, and assorted data points of relevance.

Processing algorithms

NLG deploys advanced algorithms to process and analyse the underlying data meticulously. These algorithms unveil meaningful patterns and critical insights concealed within the dataset.

Template & rule engine

NLG harnesses predefined templates and a structured set of rules to systematically shape the generated text. This meticulous structuring ensures textual consistency and readability.

Language generation engine

The language generation engine emerges as the central entity responsible for transmuting the insights derived from data into meticulously structured and coherent narratives. This transformation is achieved by applying linguistic rules and patterns, ensuring the final output retains the attributes of human-generated text.

What are the practical applications of NLG?

The practical applications of NLG span diverse domains:

Automated reporting

NLG brings unprecedented efficiency to reporting by autonomously generating comprehensive reports and concise summaries, alleviating the considerable time and manual labour typically associated with these tasks.

Business intelligence

NLG emerges as a transformative force within business intelligence, translating raw data into actionable insights that guide real-time decision-making processes.

Personalised customer interactions

NLG seamlessly integrates with conversational interfaces, such as chatbots and virtual assistants, to provide context-aware and personalised customer support, substantially enhancing the quality of user interactions.

What are the advantages of NLG?

The integration of NLG within an organisational framework furnishes an array of distinct advantages:

Enhanced decision-making

NLG bridges the comprehension gap between complex data and actionable insights, expediting the decision-making process while minimising the risk of errors stemming from manual interpretation.

Scalability

The scalability of NLG is a prominent attribute that empowers organisations to effortlessly process voluminous datasets, extending the automation of report generation and content creation to a grand scale.

Consistency

One of the intrinsic virtues of NLG lies in its ability to ensure uniformity in reporting and messaging, mitigating the risk of human errors, inconsistencies, and omissions that often plague manually generated content.

Where is NLG used?

NLG, once confined to its origins in weather data interpretation, has evolved significantly. In today's dynamic landscape, NLG systems have demonstrated remarkable versatility, contributing to diverse applications:

Gmail's smart compose

Gmail's smart compose feature, underpinned by NLG, offers users real-time text suggestions as they compose emails, streamlining and enhancing the email composition.

Wordsmith

Renowned entities like the Associated Press (AP) automatically harness Wordsmiths' capabilities to generate content, including earnings reports. This reduces the burden on human reporters and ensures that data-driven content reaches readers with unparalleled efficiency.

Autonomous vehicles - Neural networks process sensor data for self-driving cars.
Gpt-3

Gpt-3, an advanced language prediction model, has emerged as a powerful asset for content generation. It excels in producing coherent blog posts, press releases, technical manuals, and data-driven narratives, often displaying impressive accuracy. This diverse skill set enables marketers to transform structured information into data-rich narratives.

Voice assistants (Alexa and Siri)

As exemplified by Apple's Siri and Amazon's Alexa, voice-activated digital assistants leverage NLG to provide concise and informative responses to user queries. The underpinning NLG technology ensures seamless interactions between users and these virtual assistants.

Chatbots

NLG plays an instrumental role in shaping chatbot interactions. It empowers chatbots to comprehend user inputs and generate contextually relevant and coherent responses, elevating user engagement quality.

How is NLG integrated into business processes?

The successful integration of NLG within an organisational framework necessitates a systematic approach:

Choosing NLG solutions

The selection of an NLG solution warrants a comprehensive assessment, encompassing compatibility with existing systems, scalability, and alignment with the overarching strategic objectives of the organisation.