Language, our tool for communication and understanding, has a hidden complexity: context. Subtle variations changes the meaning of words drastically.

Natural Language Processing (NLP) is the technology that can decode this complexity. It allows computers to grasp meaning and respond like humans.

NLP might seem complex, involving filters and rules, but at its core, it’s about paying attention to context. This technology lets us teach machines to understand our commands better and simplifies how we control them.

A Career Built on Curiousity

My interest in NLP comes from a sense of wonder and a desire to understand this fascinating technology. I’ve spent my career exploring different aspects of computing, from basic spreadsheets, programming languages to complex cloud systems.

Each step taught me something valuable. Now, NLP feels like the next big leap.

  1. High School Discovery: Learning basic computer tools in high school sparked my curiosity about technology.

  2. College Adventures: College introduced me to C & Unix programming, opening my eyes to the world of coding.

  3. Simplifying Complexity: Understanding SQL/4GL showed me how to make sense of data, and ultimately an aid into decision making.

  4. Scripting Wonders: While doing my internship, I had to transfer, build, and run regressions of a large compiler codebase. This led me to explore Perl and in general scripting, which further expanded my programming skills.

  5. Distributed Fascination: Writing a backend service for inventory scheduling, introduced me to the world of distributed programming and networked systems.

  6. Language Innovations: I started to stretch beyond C, and my code started to look like C++, and that started me to dive into and write my own COW string library, Distributed lock service, SQL code generators.

  7. Cloud Revolution: Running and debugging long running programs (services) in remote datacenters gave me a strong appreciation of logging and power of “less” on remote systems to debug problems.

  8. Security: As a programmer, I’ve been flabbergasted at the amount of leeway I’ve had in side stepping any security within my programs. I started to develop an interest in secure computing, which led me to become a certified information security architect.

  9. The NLP Frontier: Now, NLP stands as the next exciting challenge, promising to make human-computer interaction natural and productive.

Embracing the Future of Communication

NLP is the future, making it easier for us to talk to machines. My journey has been guided by curiosity and a thirst for knowledge. As I step into the world of NLP, I see endless possibilities. It’s not just about learning new technology; it’s about shaping how we communicate with the machines that power our world. I’m thrilled to be a part of this transformative journey, exploring the magic of words and technology.

I have enrolled into deeplearning.ai’s NLP track to understand and make sense of this technology.