This document summarizes the state of semantic technology and artificial intelligence. It notes that while there has been enormous research, companies applying these technologies are just beginning to emerge. Semantic technology is being used increasingly for shallow semantics like tagging on websites and social networks. Deeper uses involving ontologies and rules are still emerging. The document compares the European focus on enabling corporate and public services versus the US consumer focus. It outlines a potential platform for large-scale semantic computing to enable startups and discusses opportunities in both business and consumer applications.

1. Michael Witbrock
Cycorp Europe
witbrock@cycorp.eu
Michael Witbrock
Cycorp, witbrock@cycorp.eu
July 26nd 2010

2. 23 Languages
27 Legal Systems
27 Countries
Not integrated: Integrating
27 Countries
Not integrated: Integrating
More in the future

3. Recent resurgence of scientific, technical
and commercial interest in Artificial
Intelligence generally
Intersection of the web and Knowledge
representation (Semantic Web)
Semantic Technology: integrate shallow
semantics ubiquitously to increase
software flexibility and decrease cost

4. http://cordis.europa.eu/ist/kct/fp6_projects.htm (2002-2006)
EC ICT FP6EC ICT FP6EC ICT FP6EC ICT FP6

5. EC ICT FP7EC ICT FP7EC ICT FP7EC ICT FP7 € 9.1 billion total
http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/ict/content-knowledge/projects_en.html (Current)

6. Enormous amount of
research on semantic
technology
Are companies
Appearing?

7. Data IntegrationData IntegrationData IntegrationData Integration
StorageStorageStorageStorage
InferenceInferenceInferenceInference

9. EU: Enabling
◦ Corporate Web Sites
◦ Corporate Services (Business Facing)
◦ Platforms (Triple Stores, SOAs, Rule Platforms)
◦ Public Goods (like Roads, Power Grids, Farms)
◦ Little or no-M&A
US: Consumer FacingUS: Consumer Facing
◦ Flashy Web Sites
◦ Individual Users (Public-facing)
◦ Applications (Search, Assistant, News)
◦ Private Goods (like Cars, Cellphones, Meals)
◦ Venture Backed, increasing M&A
Source: LarKC Project Deliverable 9.3

10. Increasing use of shallow semantics
◦ RDFa in Yahoo and Google, Facebook social
graph, NYT, BestBuy product catalogues
◦ Easy to use vocabulary:
Deeper Semantics in FutureDeeper Semantics in Future
◦ Beyond RDF: OWL, RuleML, CycML
◦ URIs with complex content
◦ By Computers for Computers
But, maybe only beginning

11. Source: Provisional estimate of product market potential. OVUM. Datamonitor
Source: Provisional estimate of product market potential. OVUM. Datamonitor
EU Value IT Project http://blog.value-it.isoco.net/
Source: Provisional estimate of product market potential. OVUM. Datamonitor

12. Companies Deploying Intelligent Technology
EU Value IT Project Surveys http://blog.value-it.isoco.net/
Of those, Companies Planning Semantic Technology

13. Identify
•Relevant Sources
•Relevant Content
•Relevant Context
•Relevant Sources
•Relevant Content
•Relevant Context
Select
•Relevant Problems
•Relevant Methods
•Relevant Data
•Relevant Problems
•Relevant Methods
•Relevant Data
Platform for Web-Scale
Semantic Computing
Can work in industry for
scaling and deploying
intelligent applications
Main role may be enabling
Transform
•Extract Information
•Calculate Statistics
•Transform to Logic
•Extract Information
•Calculate Statistics
•Transform to Logic
Reason
•Rule-based
•Classification
•Inconsistent reasoning
•Rule-based
•Classification
•Inconsistent reasoning
Decide
•Enough answers?
•Enough certainty?
•Enough effort/cost?
•Enough answers?
•Enough certainty?
•Enough effort/cost?
Main role may be enabling
startups to develop
semantic mash-ups on
cloud infrastructure
◦ Platform support
◦ Plug-in architecture

14. Large amount of research done
Beginning to result in industrial uptake
Opportunities in both consumer-facing
and business operations
Larger context
◦ Semantic/AI technologies potential power is◦ Semantic/AI technologies potential power is
enormous
◦ Could become mega-industry driving ICT
◦ (following hardware, software, web, mobile)

15. Asia and Semantic/AI Tech
•Japan and robotics?
•Korea and broadband/mobile?
•China and web-intelligence?
•India and human-machine
collaboration?
•South-east Asia?
Rest of the world:
•Central and South America
•Russia, “Near” &“Middle” East
•Canada and Mexico
•Australasia
•Africa