What is grounding?

In the context of artificial intelligence and natural language processing, 'grounding' refers to the process of connecting abstract symbols and concepts to the real world. It involves linking words, phrases, and representations to sensory experiences, physical objects, and actions. This allows AI systems to understand and reason about language in a more meaningful way, moving beyond mere symbol manipulation. Grounding is crucial for tasks like robotics, image understanding, and human-computer interaction, as it bridges the gap between symbolic representations and the physical environment.