New Search Engine Tackles Contextual Discovery

  • By Dian Schaffhauser
  • 09/30/10

Research between the University of Ulster in Northern Ireland and the St. Petersburg State University in Russia has resulted in the commercial launch of a new search engine that its developers say more closely works like the human mind in how it locates information. Sophia Search from a company of the same name features a Semiotic-based linguistic model, in which the search engine, named the Contextual Discovery Engine, figures out the themes and relationships among terms in unstructured content. Search results can identify relevant results based on context--not just keyword matches--by examining contents of a document as well as the files by which it's surrounded.

According to the company, the application, which starts at $30,000, has three unique aspects. The product discovers themes and intrinsic relationships behind information without relying on pre-existing taxonomies or ontologies to uncover and extract relevant results. It identifies duplicates and near duplicates to minimize the amount of information that needs to be stored or managed. And it provides contextual data that helps users optimize information for more accurate search, analytics, and compliance.

"Organizations seek effective solutions to discover, recover, and leverage enterprise information for increased compliance and information optimization," said CEO David Patterson. "We designed Sophia Search to identify and understand information based on its context so that more relevant information can be easily discovered."

About the Author

Dian Schaffhauser is a former senior contributing editor for 1105 Media's education publications THE Journal, Campus Technology and Spaces4Learning.

Featured

  • college student sitting at a laptop writing a college essay

    How Can Schools Manage AI in Admissions?

    Many questions remain around the role of artificial intelligence in admissions as schools navigate the balance between innovation and integrity.  

  • a hobbyist in casual clothes holds a hammer and a toolbox, building a DIY structure that symbolizes an AI model

    Ditch the DIY Approach to AI on Campus

    Institutions that do not adopt AI will quickly fall behind. The question is, how can colleges and universities do this systematically, securely, cost-effectively, and efficiently?

  • person signing a bill at a desk with a faint glow around the document. A tablet and laptop are subtly visible in the background, with soft colors and minimal digital elements

    California Governor Signs AI Content Safeguards into Law

    California Governor Gavin Newsom has officially signed off on a series of landmark artificial intelligence bills, signaling the state’s latest efforts to regulate the burgeoning technology, particularly in response to the misuse of sexually explicit deepfakes. The legislation is aimed at mitigating the risks posed by AI-generated content, as concerns grow over the technology's potential to manipulate images, videos, and voices in ways that could cause significant harm.

  • laptop screen showing Coursera course

    Coursera Introduces New Gen AI Skills Training and Credentials

    Learning platform Coursera is expanding its Generative AI Academy training portfolio with an offering for teams, as well as adding new generative AI courses, specializations, and certificates.