Natural Language Understanding (NLU) is a branch of artificial intelligence that focuses on enabling computers to comprehend human language. It involves processing and analyzing text or speech to extract meaningful information, allowing machines to understand context, intent, and sentiment. NLU is essential for applications like chatbots, virtual assistants, and language translation services. By utilizing techniques from linguistics and machine learning, NLU systems can interpret user inputs more accurately. This technology is crucial for improving user interactions with software, making it easier for people to communicate with machines in a natural and intuitive way. Examples of NLU applications include Siri, Alexa, and Google Assistant.