The Understanding Web: Natural Language Technologies

and Internet Agents

Dr. Dekai WuCEO, iSilk

Technology Origins

Spun out from HKUST research labs (Hong Kong University of Science & Technology)

- Natural Language Processing technology (HKUST Human Language Technology Center)

- Internet Agent technology (HKUST Cyberspace Center)

We have deployed our statistical NLP technology for a broad range of web agents…

Sample Applications & Expertise

NLP Web Agents

• Information seeking agents• Chatterbots• Question answering agents• Voice browsing agents• Linguistic machine-learning agents• Persistent browser agents

Persistent Browser Agents

• Heavyweight alternatives• Java• Downloaded components

• Lightweight alternatives• EcmaScript• Problem: lacks remote function calls

• iSilk WebCaller™• Distributed object platform• Clean, uniform communication between

heterogeneous objects• EcmaScript, Java, C++• Allows persistent browser agents without Java or

downloaded components

Example Application: Hongkong.com Powered by iSilkPersistent Translation Browsing Agent

Example Application: Hongkong.com Powered by iSilkPersistent Translation Browsing Agent

Agent Architecture

Enablers for NLP Web Agents:

Key Web Standards

• Procedural languages• EcmaScript• Java

• Declarative representations• XML• RDF• “Semantic Web”

• What’s missing…?

Future Directions

Thank you.