FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure generally relates to improvements in computer-implemented intelligent agents for translating natural language dialogue utterances containing one or more unexpected responses or goals to executable action items according to a generated plan.

BACKGROUND

Automated systems for interacting with customers by generating automatic, written, auditory, or video responses via web and mobile device application channels are useful ways to provide customers with requested information and perform routine account actions in an expedited, extended hours fashion, without the need to have a large workforce of customer service agents.

Intelligent agents are capable of handling predefined commands that are expressly stated by a customer. Existing intelligent agents are typically trained in a narrow domain for recognizing such predefined, expressly stated commands. As such, existing intelligent agents are limited in their capabilities for handling complex user utterances that are not directly responsive to a previous dialogue message, for understanding a stray direction taken in the dialogue, for recognizing implicit goals expressed in the dialogue, and the like.

In some domains, such user interaction with an intelligent agent is commonplace. In a particular example, intelligent agents implemented in the financial domain may invoke emotional customer utterances that lack an explicit request or instruction such that existing intelligent agents are simply unable to effectively handle. As such, there is a need for improved intelligent agents that are able to understand implicit goals contained in a customer utterance, as well as recognize an emotional sentiment of the customer, and identify an effective response or executable action to assist the customer.

SUMMARY

Embodiments disclosed herein generally relate to a computer-implemented method of generating an executable action item in response to natural language dialogue. In one embodiment, a computer-implemented method of generating an executable action item in response to natural language dialogue is disclosed herein. A computing system receives a dialogue message from a remote client device of a customer associated with an organization, the dialogue message comprising an utterance indicative of an implied goal. A natural language processor of the computing system parses the dialogue message to identify one or more components contained in the utterance. The planning module of the computing system identifies the implied goal. The computing system generates a plan within a defined solution space. The plan includes an action item based on the identified implied goal. The computing system generates a verification message to the user to confirm the plan. The computing system transmits the verification message to the remote client device of the customer. The computing system updates an event queue with instructions to execute the action item according to the generated plan upon receiving a confirmation message from the remote client device.

In some embodiments, generating the plan comprising the action item based on the identified goal includes the computing system cross-referencing the plan against one or more policies set forth by the organization to ensure that the plan does not violate any of the one or more policies.

In some embodiments, generating the plan comprising the action item based on the identified goal includes the computing system querying a database to identify one or more pre-existing plans associated with the customer. The computing system cross-references the generated plan against the one or more pre-existing plans to ensure that none of the one or more pre-existing plans are violated by the generated plan.

In some embodiments, the goal of the dialogue message includes an unclarified goal, which is not expressly stated.

In some embodiments, the computing system further generates a reply message that includes one or more prompts that aid in further identifying the unclarified goal. The computing system further transmits the reply message to the remote client device of the customer.

In some embodiments, the computing system further receives a further dialogue message from the remote client device clarifying the unclarified goal. The computing system further modifies the plan upon receiving the further dialogue message that clarifies the unclarified goal.

In some embodiments, receiving the dialogue message from the remote client device of the customer associated with the organization includes the computing system receiving the dialogue message via a communication channel that includes a voice-based channel, a text-message based channel, and a web-based channel.

In some embodiments, the dialogue message includes a current sentiment of the customer.

In some embodiments, parsing the dialogue message to identify the goal contained therein includes the computing system parsing the dialogue message to identify the current sentiment of the customer.

In some embodiments, generating a verification message to the user to confirm the plan includes the computing system generating the verification message to convey an empathetic response to the user based on the identified current sentiment of the customer.

In another embodiment, a method of translating natural language dialogue to executable action items is disclosed herein. A computing system receives a first dialogue message from a remote client device of a customer associated with an organization. The computing system parses the dialogue message to identify one or more implicit goals contained therein. The computing system generates a reply message to the dialogue message. The reply message includes one or more prompts to further clarify the one or more implicit goals. The computing system transmits the reply message to the remote client device. The computing system receives a second dialogue message from the remote client device of the customer. The further message includes one or more clarified goals based on the one or more prompts. The computing system generates a plan comprising a sequence of action items based on the one or more clarified goals. The computing system generates a verification message to the user to verify the plan. The computing system transmits the verification message to the remote client device of the customer. The computing system, upon receiving a confirmation message from the remote client device, updates an event queue with instructions to execute the sequence of action items according to the generated plan.

In some embodiments, generating the plan that includes the sequence of action items based on the one or more clarified goals includes the computing system cross-referencing the plan against one or more policies set forth by the organization to ensure that the plan does not violate any of the one or more policies.

In some embodiments, generating the plan that includes the sequence of action items based on the identified clarified goal includes the computing system querying a database to identify one or more pre-existing plans associated with the customer. The computing system cross-references the generated plan against the one or more pre-existing plans to ensure that none of the one or more pre-existing plans are violated by the generated plan.

In some embodiments, the dialogue message further includes a sentiment of the customer.

In some embodiments, generating the verification message to the user to verify the plan, the computing system embeds in the verification message an empathetic response to the customer's current sentiment.

In some embodiment, the first dialogue message is received via first communication channel and the second dialogue message is received via a second dialogue channel.

In some embodiments, the first communication channel is selected from a voice-based channel, a text-message based channel, and a web-based channel.

In some embodiments, the first communication channel and the second communication channel are the same.

In another embodiment, a system is disclosed herein. The system includes a processor and a memory. The memory has programming instructions stored thereon, which, when executed by the processor, causes operations to be performed. The operations include receiving a dialogue message from a remote client device of a customer associated with an organization. The dialogue message includes at least a goal. The operations include parsing the dialogue message to identify the goal contained therein. The operations include generating a plan within a defined solution space. The plan includes an action item based on the identified goal. The operations include generating a verification message to the user to confirm the plan. The operations include transmitting the verification message to the remote client device of the customer. The operations include updating an event queue with instructions to execute the action item according to the generated plan upon receiving a confirmation message from the remote client device.

In some embodiments, the operation of generating the plan comprising the action item based on the identified goal includes cross-referencing the plan against one or more policies set forth by the organization to ensure that the plan does not violate any of the one or more policies.

