Computers learn just like us: if you show a computer enough examples, it will eventually learn the patterns in the data.
Machine learning and other forms of artificial intelligence can make life a better place by processing data and making decisions faster than humans ever could.
NLP is just coaching computers on how to better understand human speech. As digital assistants become more popular, it's very important that they have a good grasp of the language.
The modern approach to natural language processing involves machine learning, and we're seeing many advantages from using new automated systems versus the rule-based systems of the past.