Giving Data the Power of Language

BY JIM PYTELL, ASSISTANT EDITOR ON FEB 1, 2020

Language is a method of structured human communication consisting of the use of words. Human language affords us the ability to express our thoughts, either spoken or written, and to understand each other. However, as today’s world becomes increasingly digital via technological advancement, the lines between human and computer communication continue to blur.

Morristown-based Arria NLG is at the forefront of this next generation of communication. The company’s core technology, natural language generation (NLG), is based on more than 30 years of research and development by its chief scientists at the University of Aberdeen, Scotland.

“These scientists figured out how to turn data into written language through algorithms,” says Arria NLG CEO Sharon Daniels.

Arria NLG owns, develops and licenses its core, patented NLG technologies, which are available via the Arria NLG Platform.

Daniels says the platform delivers an advanced and complete artificial intelligence software system. It automatically writes rich, compelling narratives – based on insights extracted from datasets – that read as if they were written by a human subject matter expert. The process essentially mirrors how humans can turn ideas into written text or speech.

“The technology can capture subject matter expertise in software, enabling what your best analyst is capable of doing, but using the power of the machine to do it at a scale and speed that is not possible by a human being,” Daniels says.

Not only does this free up analysts’ time by reprieving them of the more mundane tasks of raw data analysis, but it also helps virtually eliminate the possibility of human error.

To highlight just how impactful NLG technology can be, Daniels cites clinical safety reports in the pharmaceutical space, as one example.

“What is impactful in my mind is the speed at which you can understand the effects – and potentially the adverse effects – that a drug might be having. Speeding that process up [via NLG] and getting to that information faster can literally save lives,” Daniels says.

In addition to its Morristown headquarters, Arria NLG also has locations in London, Scotland, Sydney, New Zealand and more. Daniels says that the company continues to grow at a rapid pace, and currently has approximately 100 employees.

“AI is capturing human capabilities and transferring them to machine speed,” Daniels says. “It’s the replication of human actions and capturing human knowledge in a way that can be repeatable and scalable, which is what all business are looking for.”

Daniels and her team believe that the NLG tools that they are bringing to the world are igniting a global revolution in communication, and fundamentally changing the way in which people interact with technology.

“We want you to be able to have a conversation with your data, so you can ask it questions and it can talk back to you,” Daniels says. “We want to give data the power of language.”