Explain it to me like I'm 5 - What's the difference between NLP and NLU

NLU (Natural Language Understanding) and NLP (Natural Language Processing) are related but distinct fields within artificial intelligence (AI) and computational linguistics.

NLP is a broad field that covers a wide range of techniques and algorithms used to understand and manipulate human language. This can include tasks such as language translation, text summarization, sentiment analysis, and speech recognition. NLP algorithms can be used to understand the structure and meaning of the text, extract information, and generate new text.

NLU, on the other hand, is a sub-field of NLP that focuses specifically on the understanding of natural language. This includes tasks such as intent detection, entity recognition, and semantic role labeling. NLU algorithms can be used to understand the meaning and context of the text, and to extract information that can be used to perform specific actions, such as answering questions or carrying out commands. These tasks are focused on Semantics, which is the study of the meaning of words and phrases, and Discourse Analysis which is the study of the relationship between sentences.

NLU is the "detective" part of a language model. It works to figure out the "who, what, when, where and why" of a sentence. It's looking to understand the intent of a user's query, the entities mentioned in a sentence, and the sentiment expressed. It's like Sherlock Holmes trying to solve a case, it's trying to make sense of all the clues and evidence.

Think of NLP as the "superhero" part of a language model. It's the one that can fly, run, and jump (metaphorically speaking, of course). It's the one that can generate text, translate languages, and summarize long articles. It's like Superman, it's got all these cool abilities to save the day and make our lives easier.

But just like Batman needs Alfred to be truly effective, NLP needs NLU to understand the context and intent of the task at hand. Without NLU, NLP would be like Superman without Clark Kent, just a guy with cool powers and no idea what to do with them.

ServiceNow NLP to interpret the natural language used in user requests and questions. This lets users interact with the platform in a more conversational and intuitive way, rather than having to use specific commands or keywords. For example, a user can submit a request in the form of a question or statement, such as "I need help with my password," and the NLP system in ServiceNow will understand the intent behind the request and route it to the appropriate support team

ServiceNow uses NLU to extract entities like date, time, location, name, etc. and intent like request, question, problem, etc. from the user's text. The information can be used to automatically populate fields in a form or ticket, or to route the request to the appropriate team or individual.

For example, when a user submits a request like "I need a new laptop, my old one is broken," ServiceNow's NLU engine will understand the intent of the request as "new laptop request" and extract entities like "laptop" and "broken" which can be used to automatically create a new ticket, classify it as a hardware request, and route it to the IT department for resolution.

Both NLU and NLP are important for the development of natural language-based systems such as chatbots, virtual assistants, and language translation systems, but NLU is more focused on understanding the meaning and intent of the text, and using that understanding to perform specific actions.