Probabilistic-Logic bots for efficient evaluation of business rules using conversational interfaces

Abstract

We present an approach for designing conversational interfaces (chatbots) that users interact with to determine whether or not a business rule applies in a context possessing uncertainty (from the point of view of the chatbot) as to the value of input facts. Our approach relies on Bayesian network models that bring together a business rule's logical, deterministic aspects with its probabilistic components in a common framework. Our probabilistic-logic bots (PL-bots) evaluate business rules by iteratively prompting users to provide the values of unknown facts. The order facts are solicited is dynamic, depends on known facts, and is chosen using mutual information as a heuristic so as to minimize the number of interactions with the user. We have created a web-based content creation and editing tool that quickly enables subject matter experts to create and validate PL-bots with minimal training and without requiring a deep understanding of logic or probability. To date, domain experts at a well-known insurance company have successfully created and deployed over 80 PL-bots to help insurance agents determine customer eligibility for policy discounts and endorsements.