Cognitive entity reference recognition

A computer program product comprising:

• a computer readable storage medium readable by one or more processor and storing instructions for execution by the one or more processor for performing a method for recognizing a reference to an entity from a conversation, comprising:
• monitoring, by one or more processor, one or more message of the conversation between two or more users for an entity reference, wherein the two or more users have respective user names;
• detecting the entity reference in a message of the one or more message from the monitoring, the entity reference being not present in an entity reference list, wherein the entity reference list includes zero or more alternate name referring to a user of the two or more users, wherein an alternate name is distinctive from the respective user names;
• analyzing the message and following messages in the conversation for relevance;
• determining that the entity reference is appropriate for later use based on the analyzing;
• and
• updating the entity reference list with the entity reference as a new alternate name for the user such that the user may be identified by use of the new alternate name in subsequent messages.

A system comprising:

• a memory;
• one or more processor in communication with memory;
• and
• program instructions executable by the one or more processor via the memory to perform a method for recognizing a reference to an entity from a conversation, comprising:
• monitoring, by one or more processor, one or more message of the conversation between two or more users for an entity reference, wherein the two or more users have respective user names;
• detecting the entity reference in a message of the one or more message from the monitoring, the entity reference being not present in an entity reference list, wherein the entity reference list includes zero or more alternate name referring to a user of the two or more users, wherein an alternate name is distinctive from the respective user names;
• analyzing the message and following messages in the conversation for relevance;
• determining that the entity reference is appropriate for later use based on the analyzing;
• and
• updating the entity reference list with the entity reference as a new alternate name for the user such that the user may be identified by use of the new alternate name in subsequent messages.