Abstract: The present disclosure relates to chatbot systems, and more particularly, to techniques for identifying an explicit invocation of a chatbot and determining an input for the chatbot being invoked. In certain embodiments, explicit invocation analysis involves detecting an invocation name in an utterance. The invocation name is an identifier assigned to a particular chatbot. In response to detection of the invocation name, the utterance is refined for input to the particular chatbot by determining which parts of the utterance, if any, contain relevant information for the particular chatbot and generating a new utterance, using the relevant parts of the utterance, for processing by the particular chatbot. The refining can involve removal of a portion of the utterance associated with the invocation name.

Abstract: Techniques for noise data augmentation for training chatbot systems in natural language processing. In one particular aspect, a method is provided that includes receiving a training set of utterances for training an intent classifier to identify one or more intents for one or more utterances; augmenting the training set of utterances with noise text to generate an augmented training set of utterances; and training the intent classifier using the augmented training set of utterances. The augmenting includes: obtaining the noise text from a list of words, a text corpus, a publication, a dictionary, or any combination thereof irrelevant of original text within the utterances of the training set of utterances, and incorporating the noise text within the utterances relative to the original text in the utterances of the training set of utterances at a predefined augmentation ratio to generate augmented utterances.

Abstract: Techniques for using enhanced logit values for classifying utterances and messages input to chatbot systems in natural language processing. A method can include a chatbot system receiving an utterance generated by a user interacting with the chatbot system and inputting the utterance into a machine-learning model including a series of network layers. A final network layer of the series of network layers can include a logit function. The machine-learning model can map a first probability for a resolvable class to a first logit value using the logit function. The machine-learning model can map a second probability for a unresolvable class to an enhanced logit value. The method can also include the chatbot system classifying the utterance as the resolvable class or the unresolvable class based on the first logit value and the enhanced logit value.

Abstract: The present disclosure is related to techniques for converting a natural language utterance to a logical form query and deriving a natural language interpretation of the logical form query. The techniques include accessing a Meaning Resource Language (MRL) query and converting the MRL query into a MRL structure including logical form statements. The converting includes extracting operations and associated attributes from the MRL query and generating the logical form statements from the operations and associated attributes. The techniques further include translating each of the logical form statements into a natural language expression based on a grammar data structure that includes a set of rules for translating logical form statements into corresponding natural language expressions, combining the natural language expressions into a single natural language expression, and providing the single natural language expression as an interpretation of the natural language utterance.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed herein for integrating document question answering in an artificial intelligence-based platform, such as a chatbot system. The techniques include receiving a query from a user, rewriting the query to include one or more specific descriptors, computing an embedding vector for the rewritten query, retrieving one or more textual passages from a document store utilizing the embedding vector for the rewritten query, determining one or more answers to the rewritten query within the one or more textual passages, and returning the one or more answers.

Abstract: Techniques for using logit values for classifying utterances and messages input to chatbot systems in natural language processing. A method can include a chatbot system receiving an utterance generated by a user interacting with the chatbot system. The chatbot system can input the utterance into a machine-learning model including a set of binary classifiers. Each binary classifier of the set of binary classifiers can be associated with a modified logit function. The method can also include the machine-learning model using the modified logit function to generate a set of distance-based logit values for the utterance. The method can also include the machine-learning model applying an enhanced activation function to the set of distance-based logit values to generate a predicted output. The method can also include the chatbot system classifying, based on the predicted output, the utterance as being associated with the particular class.

Abstract: Techniques for maintaining list-type text formatting when converting content from a source content format to a destination content format are disclosed. A system generates text content by applying text formatting tags to segments of characters obtained from a source electronic document. The system parses a static-display type source electronic document to obtain character data of the characters in the source document. The system analyzes the parsed data to identify text arranged in a list-type text format in the source document. The system generates text content in a destination content format different from the source format by applying tags to segments of the text content designating the segments items in a list.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed herein for objective function optimization in target based hyperparameter tuning. In one aspect, a computer-implemented method is provided that includes initializing a machine learning algorithm with a set of hyperparameter values and obtaining a hyperparameter objective function that comprises a domain score for each domain that is calculated based on a number of instances within an evaluation dataset that are correctly or incorrectly predicted by the machine learning algorithm during a given trial. For each trial of a hyperparameter tuning process: training the machine learning algorithm to generate a machine learning model, running the machine learning model in different domains using the set of hyperparameter values, evaluating the machine learning model for each domain, and once the machine learning model has reached convergence, outputting at least one machine learning model.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for using context tags in named-entity recognition (NER) models. In one particular aspect, a method is provided that includes receiving an utterance, generating embeddings for words of the utterance, generating a regular expression and gazetteer feature vector for the utterance, generating a context tag distribution feature vector for the utterance, concatenating or interpolating the embeddings with the regular expression and gazetteer feature vector and the context tag distribution feature vector to generate a set of feature vectors, generating an encoded form of the utterance based on the set of feature vectors, generating log-probabilities based on the encoded form of the utterance, and identifying one or more constraints for the utterance.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed herein for continuous hyperparameter tuning with automatic domain weight adjustment based on periodic performance checkpoints. In one aspect, a method is provided that includes initializing a machine learning algorithm with a set of hyperparameter values and obtaining a hyperparameter objective function that is defined at least in part on a plurality of domains of a search space that is associated with the machine learning algorithm. For each trial of a hyperparameter tuning process: running the machine learning algorithm in different domains using the set of hyperparameter values, periodically checking a performance of the machine learning algorithm in the different domains based on the hyperparameter objective function; and continuing hyperparameter tuning with a new set of hyperparameter values after automatically adjusting the domain weights according to a regression status of the different domains.

Abstract: Techniques are described to determine whether an input utterance is unrelated to a set of skill bots associated with a master bot. In some embodiments, a system described herein includes a training system and a master bot. The training system trains a classifier of the master bot. The training includes accessing training utterances associated with the skill bots and generating training feature vectors from the training utterances. The training further includes generating multiple set representations of the training feature vectors, where each set representation corresponds to a subset of the training feature vectors, and configuring the classifier with the set representations. The master bot accesses an input utterance and generates an input feature vector. The master bot uses the classifier to compare the input feature vector to the multiple set representations so as to determine whether the input feature falls outside and, thus, cannot be handled by the skill bots.

Abstract: Techniques for automatically switching between chatbot skills in the same domain. In one particular aspect, a method is provided that includes receiving an utterance from a user within a chatbot session, where a current skill context is a first skill and a current group context is a first group, inputting the utterance into a candidate skills model for the first group, obtaining, using the candidate skills model, a ranking of skills within the first group, determining, based on the ranking of skills, a second skill is a highest ranked skill, changing the current skill context of the chatbot session to the second skill, inputting the utterance into a candidate flows model for the second skill, obtaining, using the candidate flows model, a ranking of intents within the second skill that match the utterance, and determining, based on the ranking of intents, an intent that is a highest ranked intent.

Abstract: Techniques for generating text content arranged in a consistent read order from a source document including text corresponding to different read orders are disclosed. A system parses a binary file representing an electronic document to identify characters and metadata associated with the characters. The system pre-sorts a character order of characters in each line of the electronic document to generate an ordered list of characters arranged according to the right-to-left reading order. The system performs a layout-mirroring operation to change a position of characters within the modified document relative to a right edge of the document and a left edge of the document. Subsequent to performing layout-mirroring, the system identifies native left-to-right reading-order text in-line with the native right-to-left reading-order text.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed herein for converting a natural language utterance to an intermediate database query representation. An input string is generated by concatenating a natural language utterance with a database schema representation for a database. Based on the input string, a first encoder generates one or more embeddings of the natural language utterance and the database schema representation. A second encoder encodes relations between elements in the database schema representation and words in the natural language utterance based on the one or more embeddings. A grammar-based decoder generates an intermediate database query representation based on the encoded relations and the one or more embeddings. Based on the intermediate database query representation and an interface specification, a database query is generated in a database query language.

Abstract: Techniques for generating formatting tags for textual content obtained from a source electronic document are disclosed. A system parses a digital file to obtain information about characters in an electronic document. The system applies tags to text generated based on the textual content of the electronic document by creating segments of textually-consecutive characters and applying corresponding text formatting style tags to the segments. The system further identifies segments of text overlapping bounding boxes in the electronic document. The system generates textual content including a segment of text and a corresponding hyperlink associated with the segment of text. The system further generates textual content by selectively applying line breaks from the source electronic document in the textual content.

Abstract: Techniques for generating text content arranged in a consistent read order from a source document including text corresponding to different read orders are disclosed. A system parses a binary file representing an electronic document to identify characters and metadata associated with the characters. The system pre-sorts a character order of characters in each line of the electronic document to generate an ordered list of characters arranged according to the right-to-left reading order. The system performs a layout-mirroring operation to change a position of characters within the modified document relative to a right edge of the document and a left edge of the document. Subsequent to performing layout-mirroring, the system identifies native left-to-right reading-order text in-line with the native right-to-left reading-order text.

Abstract: Techniques are disclosed herein for using named entity recognition to resolve entity expression while transforming natural language to a meaning representation language. In one aspect, a method includes accessing natural language text, predicting, by a first machine learning model, a class label for a token in the natural language text, predicting, by a second machine-learning model, operators for a meaning representation language and a value or value span for each attribute of the operators, in response to determining that the value or value span for a particular attribute matches the class label, converting a portion of the natural language text for the value or value span into a resolved format, and outputting syntax for the meaning representation language. The syntax comprises the operators with the portion of the natural language text for the value or value span in the resolved format.

Abstract: An augmentation and feature caching subsystem is described for training AI/ML models. In one particular aspect, a method is provided that includes receiving data comprising training examples, one or more augmentation configuration hyperparameters and one or more feature extraction configuration hyperparameters; generating a first key based on one of the training examples and the one or more augmentation configuration hyperparameters; searching a first key-value storage based on the first key; obtaining one or more augmentations based on the search of the first key-value storage; applying the obtained one or more augmentations to the training examples to result in augmented training examples; generating a second key based on one of the augmented training examples and the one or more feature extraction configuration hyperparameters; searching a second key-value storage based on the second key; obtaining one or more features based on the search of the second key-value storage.

Abstract: Techniques for data augmentation for training chatbot systems in natural language processing. In one particular aspect, a method is provided that includes generating a list of values to cover for an entity, selecting utterances from a set of data that have context for the entity, converting the utterances into templates, where each template of the templates comprises a slot that maps to the list of values for the entity, selecting a template from the templates, selecting a value from the list of values based on the mapping between the slot within the selected template and the list of values for the entity; and creating an artificial utterance based on the selected template and the selected value, where the creating the artificial utterance comprises inserting the selected value into the slot of the selected template that maps to the list of values for the entity.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for using context tags in named-entity recognition (NER) models. In one particular aspect, a method is provided that includes receiving an utterance, generating embeddings for words of the utterance, generating a regular expression and gazetteer feature vector for the utterance, generating a context tag distribution feature vector for the utterance, concatenating or interpolating the embeddings with the regular expression and gazetteer feature vector and the context tag distribution feature vector to generate a set of feature vectors, generating an encoded form of the utterance based on the set of feature vectors, generating log-probabilities based on the encoded form of the utterance, and identifying one or more constraints for the utterance.