Why can't we talk to our phones or computers like we talk to a human being? Why can't a cell phone know that it shouldn't ring at a concert? Why can't a web application make a holiday plan for us even if it knows where we are going? Answers to these questions and many more lie in the lack of commonsense knowledge in computer programs. Commonsense knowledge can be viewed as the collection of unspoken assumptions about the real world that every human being has acquired in their childhood. It is the AI dream to instill commonsense in machines – to simulate the human ability to make deductions in unfamiliar circumstances so as to provide better and intelligent services to humans.
In the talk I will give a general overview about the field of Commonsense Knowledge, highlight some of it's applications and underline existing work. I would also briefly talk about what I'm looking into as part of my research.