When Will Computers Understand Shakespeare?

Explore the challenges and future prospects of computational understanding of complex literary texts in this lecture by Jerry Hobbs from the University of Southern California. Examine the fundamental questions surrounding artificial intelligence's ability to comprehend nuanced language, metaphor, and cultural context as found in Shakespearean works. Delve into the current limitations of natural language processing systems and the theoretical frameworks needed to bridge the gap between computational linguistics and human-level text comprehension. Investigate the intersection of computer science, linguistics, and literary analysis while considering what true machine understanding of literature would require. Gain insights into the philosophical and technical hurdles that must be overcome before computers can genuinely interpret the depth, ambiguity, and artistic complexity inherent in masterworks of English literature.