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 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 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: 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 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.

Abstract: Novel techniques are described for data augmentation using a two-stage entity-aware augmentation to improve model robustness to entity value changes for intent prediction.

Abstract: Novel techniques are described for negative entity-aware augmentation using a two-stage augmentation to improve the stability of the model to entity value changes for intent prediction. In some embodiments, a method comprises accessing a first set of training data for an intent prediction model, the first set of training data comprising utterances and intent labels; applying one or more negative entity-aware data augmentation techniques to the first set of training data, depending on the tuning requirements for hyper-parameters, to result in a second set of training data, where the one or more negative entity-aware data augmentation techniques comprise Keyword Augmentation Technique (“KAT”) plus entity without context technique and KAT plus entity in random context as OOD technique; combining the first set of training data and the second set of training data to generate expanded training data; and training the intent prediction model using the expanded training data.

Abstract: Novel techniques are described for positive entity-aware augmentation using a two-stage augmentation to improve the stability of the model to entity value changes for intent prediction. In one particular aspect, a method is provided that includes accessing a first set of training data for an intent prediction model, the first set of training data comprising utterances and intent labels; applying one or more positive data augmentation techniques to the first set of training data, depending on the tuning requirements for hyper-parameters, to result in a second set of training data, where the positive data augmentation techniques comprise Entity-Aware (“EA”) technique and a two-stage augmentation technique; combining the first set of training data and the second set of training data to generate expanded training data; and training the intent prediction model using the expanded training data.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for generating training data to facilitate fine-tuning embedding models. Training data including anchor utterances is obtained. Positive utterances and negative utterances are generated from the anchor utterances. Tuples including the anchor utterances, the positive utterances, and the negative utterances are formed. Embeddings for the tuples are generated and a pre-trained embedding model is fine-tuned based on the embeddings. The fine-tuned model can be deployed to a system.

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 described for invoking and switching between chatbots of a chatbot system. In some embodiments, the chatbot system is capable of routing an utterance received while a user is already interacting with a first chatbot in the chatbot system. For instance, the chatbot system may identify a second chatbot based on determining that (i) such an utterance is an invalid input to the first chatbot or (ii) that the first chatbot is attempting to route the utterance to a destination associated with the first chatbot. Identifying the second chatbot can involve computing, using a predictive model, separate confidence scores for the first chatbot and the second chatbot, and then determining that a confidence score for the second chatbot satisfies one or more confidence score thresholds. The utterance is then routed to the second chatbot based on the identifying of the second chatbot.