Science of Language and AI

Catalog description

This course serves as an introduction to scientific study of natural languages - such as English, Chinese, Japanese and Korean - and their application to Artificial Intelligence (AI). The study of natural language seeks to understand the underlying mechanisms that drive human linguistic abilities, and this course will explore how these insights can be applied to AI technologies. Key questions that will be addressed include: * What formal systems do natural languages follow? * What makes natural languages unique compared to other forms of communication? * How do natural languages vary, and what constraints shape them? * Why do these specific constraints exist, and how do they influence language structure? This interdisciplinary course will explore the rapidly advancing field of language-related AI, focusing on how linguistic theory and computer science intersect. Throughout the semester, we will examine how these two fields can inform and complement each other, offering insights into both the nature of human language and the development of AI systems that process and understand it. Prerequisite: AAAS 218 (or LING283). Offered regularly.