Abstract: An external content engine automatically monitors content items generated by external data sources such as online merchants, social networking platforms, and discussion forums for an entity. The monitored content items may include public messages such as posts, reviews, and comments. When a content item is identified that references or relates to the entity, natural language processing is used to determine if the content item has a positive or negative context. The external content engine may then determine an action to take based on the context and other factors such as a popularity or influence of the author of the content item.

Abstract: As described herein, a system for expanding contractions in electronically stored text includes expanding contractions having only on expanded form. For remaining contractions, a grammar check is performed for all possible expanded forms to determine if an expanded form can be selected based on context and grammar rules. If an expanded form is not evident from the first two steps, all possible expanded forms of the remaining contractions are converted to a vector representation along with the original text. A Word Movers Distance (WMD) for each possible expansion is calculated using the vectors for each possible expansion and the original text. An expanded form is chosen without human intervention based on the grammar score alone or the WMD and the grammar score.

Abstract: A scalable system provides automated conversation review that can identify potential miscommunications. The system may provide suggested actions to fix errors in intelligent virtual assistant (IVA) understanding, may prioritize areas of language model repair, and may automate the review of conversations. By the use of an automated system for conversation review, problematic interactions can be surfaced without exposing the entire set of conversation logs to human reviewers, thereby minimizing privacy invasion. A scalable system processes conversations and autonomously marks the interactions where the IVA is misunderstanding the user.

Abstract: This disclosure describes techniques and architectures for evaluating conversations. In some instances, conversations with users, virtual assistants, and others may be analyzed to identify potential risks within a language model that is employed by the virtual assistants and other entities. The potential risks may be evaluated by administrators, users, systems, and others to identify potential issues with the language model that need to be addressed. This may allow the language model to be improved and enhance user experience with the virtual assistants and others that employ the language model.

Abstract: An IVR and chatbot, or other system, employing a language model, the language model resulting from a method and computer product encoding the method is available for preparing a domain or subdomain specific glossary. The method included using probabilities, word context, common terminology and different terminology to identify domain and subdomain specific language and a related glossary updated according to the method.

Abstract: A system and method for updating computerized language models is provided that automatically adds or deletes terms from the language model to capture trending events or products, while maximizing computer efficiencies by deleting terms that are no longer trending and use of knowledge bases, machine learning model training and evaluation corpora, analysis tools and databases.

Abstract: Hybrid natural language understanding (NLU) systems and methods are provided that capitalize on the strengths of the rule-based models and the statistical models, lowering the cost of development and increasing the speed of construction, without sacrificing control and accuracy. Two models are used for intent recognition, one statistical and one rule-based. Both models define the same set of intents, but the rule-based model is devoid of any grammars or patterns initially. Each model may or may not be hierarchical in that it may be composed of a set of specialized models that are in a tree form or it may be just a singular model.

Abstract: To allow the human customer service agents to specialize in the instances where human service is preferred, but to scale to the volume of large call centers, systems and methods are provided in which human agents and intelligent virtual assistants (IVAs) co-handle a conversation with a customer. IVAs handle simple or moderate tasks, and human agents are used for those tasks that require or would benefit from human compassion or special handling. Instead of starting the conversation with an IVA and then escalating or passing control of the conversation to a human to complete, the IVAs and human agents work together on a conversation.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method for detecting and addressing bias in training data prior to building language models based on the training data. Accordingly system and method, detect bias in training data for Intelligent Virtual Assistant (IVA) understanding and highlight any found. Suggestions for reducing or eliminating them may be provided This detection may be done for each model within the Natural Language Understanding (NLU) component. For example, the language model, as well as any sentiment or other metadata models used by the NLU, can introduce understanding bias. For each model deployed, training data is automatically analyzed for bias and corrections suggested.

Abstract: Conversation user interfaces that are configured for virtual assistant interaction may include tasks to be completed that may have repetitious entry of the same or similar information. User preferences may be learned by the system and may be confirmed by the user prior to the learned preference being implemented. Learned preferences may be identified in near real-time on large collections of data for a large population of users. Further, the learned preferences may be based at least in part on previous conversations and actions between the system and the user as well as user-defined occurrence thresholds.

Abstract: As described herein, a system for expanding contractions in electronically stored text includes expanding contractions having only on expanded form. For remaining contractions, a grammar check is performed for all possible expanded forms to determine if an expanded form can be selected based on context and grammar rules. If an expanded form is not evident from the first two steps, all possible expanded forms of the remaining contractions are converted to a vector representation along with the original text. A Word Movers Distance (WMD) for each possible expansion is calculated using the vectors for each possible expansion and the original text. An expanded form is chosen without human intervention based on the grammar score alone or the WMD and the grammar score.

Abstract: Hybrid natural language understanding (NLU) systems and methods are provided that capitalize on the strengths of the rule-based models and the statistical models, lowering the cost of development and increasing the speed of construction, without sacrificing control and accuracy. Two models are used for intent recognition, one statistical and one rule-based. Both models define the same set of intents, but the rule-based model is devoid of any grammars or patterns initially. Each model may or may not be hierarchical in that it may be composed of a set of specialized models that are in a tree form or it may be just a singular model.

Abstract: To allow the human customer service agents to specialize in the instances where human service is preferred, but to scale to the volume of large call centers, systems and methods are provided in which human agents and intelligent virtual assistants (IVAs) co-handle a conversation with a customer. IVAs handle simple or moderate tasks, and human agents are used for those tasks that require or would benefit from human compassion or special handling. Instead of starting the conversation with an IVA and then escalating or passing control of the conversation to a human to complete, the IVAs and human agents work together on a conversation.

Abstract: A method and computer product encoding the method is available for preparing a domain or subdomain specific glossary. The method included using probabilities, word context, common terminology and different terminology to identify domain and subdomain specific language and a related glossary updated according to the method.

Abstract: A real-time conversation is monitored between a user and an intelligent virtual assistant (IVA). A visualization may be generated and displayed to the user on the user computing device based on one or more topics identified in the conversation. The conversation between the user and the IVA may continue and is continued to be monitored. The visualization can be updated as the conversation continues, e.g., based on further topics being identified.

Abstract: Disclosed is a system and method for detecting and addressing bias in training data prior to building language models based on the training data. Accordingly system and method, detect bias in training data for Intelligent Virtual Assistant (IVA) understanding and highlight any found. Suggestions for reducing or eliminating them may be provided This detection may be done for each model within the Natural Language Understanding (NLU) component. For example, the language model, as well as any sentiment or other metadata models used by the NLU, can introduce understanding bias. For each model deployed, training data is automatically analyzed for bias and corrections suggested.

Abstract: A set of documents related to a particular topic, industry, or entity are received. Sentences are extract from each document. The sentences are grouped into tuples of one, two, or three consecutive sentences (i.e., short text sequences). The sentence tuples are clustered based on vector representations of the sentences. For each cluster, a set of tuples that best represents or best fits the cluster is selected. These sentence tuples are fed to an ontology to determine ontological entities associated with each tuple. These determined ontological entities are associated with the clusters corresponding to each tuple. The sentence tuples associated with each cluster are labeled based on the ontological entities associated with the cluster. The labeled sentence tuples may then be used for a variety of purposes such as training a model to determine the topic of short text sequences.

Abstract: A scalable system provides automated conversation review that can identify potential miscommunications. The system may provide suggested actions to fix errors in intelligent virtual assistant (IVA) understanding, may prioritize areas of language model repair, and may automate the review of conversations. By the use of an automated system for conversation review, problematic interactions can be surfaced without exposing the entire set of conversation logs to human reviewers, thereby minimizing privacy invasion. A scalable system processes conversations and autonomously marks the interactions where the IVA is misunderstanding the user.

Abstract: A system and method using blockchain for monitoring and tracking service provider involvement in a transaction on behalf of a customer company. In the system and method, session information related to the transactions are encrypted using an encryption key specific to a company on whose behalf the service provider is acting. The encrypted action is signed the with a private key of a public/private key pair. The signed, encrypted action record is placed on the blockchain, which can later be accessed to review the actions on behalf of the specific company.

Abstract: An external content engine automatically monitors content items generated by external data sources such as online merchants, social networking platforms, and discussion forums for an entity. The monitored content items may include public messages such as posts, reviews, and comments. When a content item is identified that references or relates to the entity, natural language processing is used to determine if the content item has a positive or negative context. The external content engine may then determine an action to take based on the context and other factors such as a popularity or influence of the author of the content item.