The field of Semantic Computing addresses the derivation and matching of the semantics of computational content to that of naturally expressed user intentions in order to retrieve, manage, manipulate or even create content, where "content" may be anything including video, audio, text, process, service, hardware, network, community, etc.

This connection between content and  user intentions is made via (1) Semantic Analysis, which analyzes content with the goal of converting it to machine processable semantics; (2) Semantic Integration, which integrates content and semantics from multiple sources; (3) Semantic Applications, which utilize content and semantics to solve problems; and (4) Semantic Interface, which interprets users' intentions expressed in natural language or other communicative forms. The reverse connection converts the intentions of users to create content via analysis and synthesis techniques.

The ultimate success of Semantic Computing requires new, synergized technologies be developed from natural language processing, data and knowledge engineering, software engineering, computer systems and networks, communication, signal processing, pattern recognition, etc. Example areas of interest include (but are not limited to) the following:

Semantic Analysis
Natural language processing
Image and video analysis  
Audio and speech analysis
Analysis of structured and semi-structured data
Analysis of behaviors of software, services and networks
Analysis of social networks
Data and web mining
Description languages

Semantic Integration
Database schema integration
Ontology integration
Interoperability and service integration

Semantic Applications
Semantic programming languages and software engineering
Semantic system design and synthesis
Search engines
Question answering
Semantic web services
Multimedia databases
Context-aware networks of sensors, devices and applications
Semantic GIS systems
Human centered communications
Semantic trusted computing

Semantic Interface
Natural language interface
Multi-modal interface

Some areas of Semantic Computing have appeared as isolated pieces in various disciplines such as computational linguistics, artificial intelligence, multimedia, database and services computing. Semantic Computing glues these pieces together into an integrated theme and addresses their synergetic interactions.