As I was listening to “Science Friday” interview a researcher, I kept thinking how language and behavior are deeply intertwined.  While simple interactive programs like "ALICE" are interesting demonstrations, there can be no meaningful natural language processing (NLP) without both a lot of knowledge of the world and an understanding of relationships: connecting self with others.  The very foundation of communication seems impossible without knowing your own intentions and the intentions of others and how these relate.  So even the crudest NLP should, I suspect, begin by modeling relationships.

NLP seems more and more to be the most important problem in computer science today; without progress on this, we are stuck doing the "same old data processing" only faster and faster…

Science Friday Radio: March 3, 2006
We'll hear about why chimps cooperate and help others. Two new studies look at how chimpanzees respond when faced with others in need of assistance.
UCLA Research on 'Prosocial Preferences' | Joan Silk’s Research Page

NLP References (American Assoc. Artificial Intelligence)