Technology Update

Chatbot Framework for e-Gov

Meet VANI - Virtual Assistant of NIC
Edited by
MOHAN DAS VISWAM

VANI is a virtual assistant Chatbot Chatbot

is a ispiece a piece
of of
software softwarethat thataims aims to to
that mimics a human & tries interact, interact,
and respond
and respondwith with
a usera like user any like human
any human
to help users - especially would.would. UnlikeUnlike
a tradition-
a tradition-
al software
al software application
application
those not well versed with whosewhose
behaviourbehaviour
is tightlyis tightly
boundbound by its by its
designdesign
and code,and acode,
chatbot a chatbot
relies more
relies onmore on
the web or technology in underlying
underlying
machine machine
learning learning
algorithms
algorithms
that help
that ithelp to itrecognize
to recognize and identify
and identify
general. It is built using the patterns,
patterns,
make makeclassifications
classifications
into differ-
into differ-
ent classes
ent classes
of data of or datamake or make
decisionsdecisions
principles of the latest based based
on threshold
on thresholdset forseta continuous
for a continuous
type oftypedata.
of It’s
data.anIt’s accessible
an accessible
form of form of
disruptive technology of Artificial
Artificial
Intelligence
Intelligence
(AI) that(AI)is that
increas-
is increas-
ingly ingly
being beingput toputuseto inusebusinessesin businesses
everywhere.
everywhere.Right Right
from travelfrom travel
enquiriesenquiries Problem Description Problem Identification
our times, that is Machine to bankto loans,
bank loans,
we seewe chatbots
see chatbots
being being
the the Figure 1- Stateful Chatbot
primaryprimary
point pointof contactof contact for most for most
common common
enquiries enquiries
and issuesand issues
acrossacross
all This
all chat
Thissnippet
chat snippet
is an example
is an example
of a ‘state-
of a ‘state-
the fields
the fields
of work of today.
work today. ful’ bot.
ful’
Thebot.user
Thehas usermentioned
has mentioned
only onceonly once
Intelligence
in the in
beginning
the beginningthat his/her
that his/her
overalloverall
issue issue
TECHNOLOGY
TECHNOLOGY BRIEF BRIEF is email
is email
related.related.
From From the next
the response
next response
Chatbots
Chatbots
are theareprimethe prime
and most and easily onwards,
most easily onwards,
the bot theimplicitly
bot implicitly
understands
understands
implementable
implementable example example
of AI,ofencom-AI, encom- that further
that further
responses responses
will bewillrelated
be related
to to
passingpassing
deep learning,
deep learning, naturalnatural
language email.email.
language This isThis
called is called
maintaining
maintaining
a particu-
a particu-
processing,
processing, and and machine machine learning lar context.
learning lar context.
The fact Thethatfactthe
thatbotthecould
bot could
algorithms.
algorithms.
Like any LikeAIany driven
AI driven
applica- identify
applica- identify
that the thatuserthewants
user wants
a newaemail new email
tion, Chatbots
tion, Chatbots
also needalsomassive
need massiveamounts account
amounts account
out ofout the of whole
the whole
conversation
conversation
is is
of dataof todata
produce
to produce
fruitfulfruitful
results.results.
The The called called
identifying
identifying
the intent.
the intent.
more anmore endanuserendinteracts
user interacts
with the withbot,
the bot,
VARINDRA SETH the better
the better
recognition
recognition
becomes becomes
at predict- Conducting
at predict- Conducting a conversation
a conversation is anis an
Sr. Technical Director ing what
ingthe
what appropriate
the appropriate
response response
is when extremely
is when extremely
difficultdifficult
task fortask
evenforhumans,
even humans,
seth@nic.in communicating
communicating with an withendanuser.end This for everyone
user. This for everyone
interpretsinterprets
a spokena spoken
sentence sentence
processprocess
is calledis called
training training the engine. according
the engine. according
to their to owntheir understanding
own understanding of of
language,
language,
past experiences,
past experiences, etc. Thisetc. isThis is
Chatbots
Chatbots
can becan stateless
be stateless
or stateful.
or stateful.
A one A of one the of mainthe main reasons reasons
chatbots chatbots
stateless
stateless
chatbotchatbot
approachesapproaches
each interac-
each interac-
misunderstand,
misunderstand, or are or areunableunable to to
tion astion
if it as
wasif itwith
wasawithnew auser.
newAuser.stateful
A stateful
understand
understand
user sentences.
user sentences.
Over aOver perioda period
JOHN PHILIP chatbotchatbot
is more is more
sophisticated;
sophisticated;it canit canof time,
of there
time, hastherebeen has paradigm
been paradigm
shift inshift in
Technical Director reviewreview
past interactions
past interactions and frameand frame
new new how chatbots
how chatbotsunderstand understand
and respond
and respond
to to
johnphilip@nic.in
responses
responses
in same in context.
same context. Consider Consider
the human
the human queries. queries.
These Theseparadigms
paradigmsare are
following
following
chat (figure
chat (figure
1). 1). classified
classified
into threeintogenerations
three generations
(figure(figure
2). 2).

Generation 1 Generation 2 Generation 3

NIDHI LOHAT
Scientific Officer-SB
nidhi.lohat@nic.in
- Rule Based - Rule Based+ - Generation 2+
Supervised Learning Unsupervised Learning
Figure 2- Chatbot Generations

34 informatics.nic.in | Oct-Dec 2018

 Technology Update

GENERATION
GENERATION
1 1 Middle-ware AI & ML Engine
UI + Business
BasedBased
on simple
on simple
writtenwritten
rules, rules.
chatbotChatbot
Logic layer Layer Layer
handleshandles
only theonlyspecific
the specific
rules that
rulesare
that are
knownknown
to it. If
to the
it. Ifuser
the says
user something
says something
other than
otherwhat
thaniswhatknownis known
to the chatbot,
to the chatbot,
it it
resultsresults
into a in
failure
a failure
condition.
condition. Voice Enabled Human Agents
Mobile App
GENERATION
GENERATION
2 2
BasedBased
on supervised
on supervisedmachine machine
learning,
learning,
one needs
one needs
to label to the
labeltraining
the training
data anddata and Under Progress
then train
then train
a model a model
to learnto learn
how to how to Already Implemented
accordingly
accordingly
respond respond
to the to
user.
theThis
user.also
This also
needs needs
a lot ofa lot
labelled
of labelled
trainingtraining
data. The
data. TheFigure 3 - Chatbot framework implementation
more more
a model a modelis trained,
is trained,
the more the more
accurate
accurate
responsesresponses
to the to
user
theare.
user are. communication
communication between
between
UI layer
UI layer
and andIn its current
In its current
form, form,
VANIVANIrecognises
recognises
and and
back-end
back-end
AI engineAI engine
via APIs,
via APIs,
and also classifies
and also classifies
the specific
the specific
user problem,
user problem,
and and
GENERATION
GENERATION 3 3 managesmanages
the chatthe transfer
chat transfer
mechanism
mechanismits subproblem,
its subproblem, from from
the userthe user
text text
BasedBased
on adaptive
on adaptive
unsupervised
unsupervised
learning, with the
learning, with
human
the human
agent. agent. received.
received.
It wasIt decided
was decided
to design
to design
the the
the AIthe
Chatbot
AI Chatbot
can learn
can from
learn unlabelled
from unlabelled engine engine
in a way
in a
where
way where
each main
each problem
main problem
AI Engine
AI Engine category
category
like Email,
like Email,VPN, VPN, AEBAS, AEBAS,
data. This
data.generation
This generation
generally
generally
combinescombines
the benefit
the benefit
of previous
of previous
generations.
generations. Heart Heart
It can It can of the of
whole
the whole
application,
application,
takes the
takes the
NetworkNetwork
etc., was
etc.,imagined
was imagined
as a contain-
as a contain-
use rules
useandruleslabelled
and labelled
data anddatatheand
ability user
the ability input
user in
input
natural
in natural
language
language
formatformat
and and
er, and
er, their
and their
subcategories
subcategories
were were
like like
to learn
to learn
from frommany many
unlabelled
unlabelled
data to classifies
data to classifies
it into
it into
a specific
a specific
objectsobjects
inside inside
the container.
the container.
Much Much
like like
handlehandle
more complex
more complex conversations. problem-subproblem
conversations. problem-subproblem domain.
domain. the Figure
the Figure
4. 4.
Human
Human
Agents
Agents
GENERIC
GENERIC
FEATURE
FEATURE
REQUIRE-
REQUIRE-
MENT
MENT IDENTIFICATION
IDENTIFICATION Work Work
as a fall-back
as a fall-back
arrangement
arrangement
in casein case
Users
the engine
the engine
failed failed
to classify
to classify
the given
the user
given user
A number
A number
of features
of features
can becan implemented
be implemented input into
inputanyintospecific
any specific
problem problem
domain. domain.
in anine-Govan e-Govservices services
scenarioscenario
for a for a
chatbot:
chatbot: FEATURES
FEATURES CURRENTLY
CURRENTLY Chatbot App
Front End
••Identification
••Identification
of the ofissue
the issue IMPLEMENTED
IMPLEMENTED IN VANI IN VANI & Business logic
••On •• theOn
spotthesolution
spot solution (VIRTUAL
(VIRTUAL ASSISTANT
ASSISTANT OF NIC) OF NIC)
••Raising
••Raising
ticketstickets
for grievances
for grievances VANIVANI is a Chatbot
is a Chatbot
of NIC of which
NIC whichis is Chatbot Engine Chatbot APIs
••Authentication
••Authentication havinghaving
the following
the following implemented
implemented
••Chat••transfer
Chat transfer
to a human
to a human as a asfeatures
agent agent a features
fall-back
fall-back
mechanism
mechanism ••Identification
••Identification
of the of
issue
the issue
••Voice••Voice
chat chat ••Raising
••Raising
ticketstickets
for grievances
for grievances
••Status/
••Status/
ResultsResults ••OTP••Authentication
OTP Authentication
••Analytical
••Analytical
DashboardDashboard
(Only (Only
for analy- ••Chat••transfer
for analy- Chat transferto a human
to a human as a as a Email
agent agent VPN AEBAS

sis purposes
sis purposes
– not for– not
user)
for user) fall-back
fall-back
mechanismmechanism
Figure 4 - Use case for servicedesk.nic.in
••Sentiment
••Sentimentand Mood and Mood Analysis
Analysis ••Analytical
(not (not ••Analytical
DashboardDashboard
directly
directly
used by used
thebyendthe user)
end user)
••Accessible
••Accessiblefrom different
from differentmediamedia UPCOMING
like like UPCOMING FEATURES
FEATURES POTENTIAL
POTENTIAL FOR FOR E-GOV E-GOV
Web, Web,MobileMobile
App and App even and even
from from
an The an following
The followingfeaturesfeatures
are currently
are currently
in VANIin VANI sees itssees
application
its application
in a number
in a number
of of
ordinary
ordinary
mobilemobile
phonephonethrough through
voice voice testingtesting
phase,phase,
and willandlater
willbelater
released
be released
in ventures
in ventures that arethatrunareforrun
theforcitizens
the citizens
such such
pilot mode
pilot mode
to gauge to gauge
user acceptance:
user acceptance: as application
as application statuses,statuses,
info foraging,
info foraging,
CHATBOTCHATBOT FRAMEWORKFRAMEWORK ••Voice••Voice
Chat (as Chata (as
Mobilea Mobile
App likeAppa likegrievance
a grievance and redressal.
and redressal.
IMPLEMENTATION
IMPLEMENTATION - - WhatsApp
WhatsApp
voice chat)
voice and
chat)would
and would
also bealso be
TECHNOLOGY
TECHNOLOGY ( ( 3) .3) available
available
on theon voicethe voice
enabled enabled
IVRS IVRS
UI+Business
UI+Business LogicLogicLayerLayer (Interactive
(Interactive
Voice Voice
ResponseResponse
System) System) For further information, please contact:
••On ••theOnspotthesolution
spot solution
(instead (instead
of raising
of raising VARINDRA SETH
It is the
It is
point
the of
point
interface
of interface
with the
withuser.
the user.
ticketstickets
directly,directly,
wherewhere
applicable)
applicable) Sr. Technical Director & HoD
All theAllbusiness
the business
logic, logic,
validations,
validations,
and and NIC IVRS service-desk Chatbot & Voicebot
NIC HQ, CGO Complex, Lodhi Road
exception
exception
handlinghandling
are implemented
are implemented
here. here.
USE USECASECASE IMPLEMENTATION
IMPLEMENTATION NEW DELHI 110003
Middle-ware
Middle-ware
LayerLayer VANIVANI is currently
is currently
employed
employed
for for Email: seth@nic.in
Phone: 011-24305242
WorksWorks
as an API
as anManager
API Manager
– manages
– manages
the the
help-desk
help-desk
services
services
at servicedesk.nic.in.
at servicedesk.nic.in.

Oct-Dec 2018 | informatics.nic.in 35