Dynamic selection of virtual agents in a mutli-domain expert system

The system of claim

• where the front-end program comprises a natural-language processing technology configured to infer semantic meaning from natural-language user input submitted to the expert system through the front-end program,
• where the first block of input comprises natural-language text or speech,
• where the first chat-table record was created by the front-end program upon receipt by the front-end program of the first block of input, and
• where the first chat-table record identifies characteristics of the first block of input.

A method for dynamic selection of virtual agents in a multi-domain expert system, the method comprising:

• a processor of a distributed virtual-assistant manager (DVAM) module receiving notice that a user has initiated a user session, where the multi-domain expert system comprises the DVAM, a front-end program that interacts with the user, a chat table, a virtual agent intent (VAI) table, and a set of pretrained virtual agents;
• the processor receiving a communication from the front-end program that a first block of input has been received from the user by the front-end program;
• the processor retrieving a first chat-table record from the chat table, where the first chat-table record identifies a first semantic meaning of the first block of input;
• the processor associating, as a function of the first semantic meaning, the first block of input with a first domain of a set of predefined domains;
• the processor selecting a first virtual agent from the set of pretrained virtual agents, where the first virtual agent possesses expert knowledge in the first domain;
• and
• the processor directing the front-end program to conduct the user session as an interactive conversation between the user and the first virtual agent.

A computer program product, comprising a computer-readable hardware storage device having a computer-readable program code stored therein, the program code configured to be executed by a multi-domain expert system comprising a processor, a memory coupled to the processor, and a computer-readable hardware storage device coupled to the processor, the storage device containing program code configured to be run by the processor via the memory to implement a method for dynamic selection of virtual agents in a multi-domain expert system, the method comprising:

• a processor of a distributed virtual-assistant manager (DVAM) module receiving notice that a user has initiated a user session, where the multi-domain expert system comprises the DVAM, a front-end program that interacts with the user, a chat table, a virtual agent intent (VAI) table, and a set of pretrained virtual agents;
• the processor receiving a communication from the front-end program that a first block of input has been received from the user by the front-end program;
• the processor retrieving a first chat-table record from the chat table, where the first chat-table record identifies a first semantic meaning of the first block of input;
• the processor associating, as a function of the first semantic meaning, the first block of input with a first domain of a set of predefined domains;
• the processor selecting a first virtual agent from the set of pretrained virtual agents, where the first virtual agent possesses expert knowledge in the first domain;
• and
• the processor directing the front-end program to conduct the user session as an interactive conversation between the user and the first virtual agent.