Artificial intelligence (AI), data science, big data analytics, knowledge discovery and management… the transformative potential of semantically powered AI seemingly knows no bounds. The industry experts and business leaders who apply these technologies in real-world situations need access to some means whereby they can better understand these developing technologies, not least their challenges and limitations.
This publication presents the proceedings of SEMANTiCS 2025, the 21st International Conference on Semantic Systems, held from 3 to 5 September 2025 in Vienna, Austria. The SEMANTiCS conferences provide a forum for the exchange of cutting-edge research and innovation in semantic systems, embracing emerging challenges across a wide range of disciplines. In the 21 years since its inception, the conference series has become established as a premier forum for researchers and industry professionals to explore and understand the evolving landscape of semantic computing and AI. The title of these proceedings is Linking Meaning: Semantic Technologies Shaping the Future of AI, and the aim of the conference was to bridge the gap between academic research and industrial application. A total of 57 submissions were received for the conference, and 16 papers were accepted for presentation and publication after a thorough double-blind review process, resulting in an acceptance rate of 28%. The volume is divided into 5 sections: knowledge graph construction; knowledge graph completion; knowledge-enhanced language models; graph search; and semantics in use.
Providing a wide-ranging overview of current developments in semantically-powered AI, this publication will be of interest to all those working in the field or wishing to gain a better understanding of the technology.
