A user who types “account” clearly signals a banking topic but not a single goal: opening, closing, or checking an account. Treating that input as one testable intent can distort classifier evaluation and create a poor user experience. section 4.4.2
An ambiguous utterance is understandable conversational input that does not identify one user goal. Examples include “driver license,” “that one,” and “2.” Context may clarify some phrases, but an isolated utterance can map to several intents or lose its earlier reference. section 4.4.2
Handle ambiguous utterances according to their role in the conversation:
- Usually exclude them from classifier accuracy tests because no single golden intent can be assigned. section 4.4.2
- Set them aside for negative testing and measurement of how often users communicate without a clear goal. section 4.4.2
- Include responses from buttons or information-gathering flows only when they align with an intent used in that flow. section 4.4.2
- Evaluate whether disambiguation and clarifying questions guide users toward a resolvable goal. section 4.4.2
