A Hybrid Virtual Assistant for Legal Domain Based on Information Retrieval and Knowledge Graphs

Abstract

Virtual assistants have gained popularity across various domains, including the legal field, where they serve to offer guidance and aid in the form of law retrieval. In this research, our aim is to develop a legal virtual assistant that combines knowledge graphs (KGs) and information retrieval (IR) techniques. This hybrid approach allows us to provide accurate answers extracted from structured interconnected data while simultaneously cater to a diverse range of legal inquiries. We categorize these inquiries into a few distinct use cases: definition lookup, law component lookup, sanctions, and domain knowledge. Our system encompasses a chatbot platform, knowledge graph querying, and information retrieval. Specifically, we construct a VA system over a legal knowledge graph pertaining to the Indonesian Act concerning Manpower or Labor (UU Ketenagakerjaan) and the Indonesian Act concerning the Creation of Jobs (UU Cipta Kerja). This marks the creation of the first legal virtual assistant in the Indonesian context that combines KG and IR methodologies. To evaluate the effectiveness of our prototype system, we conduct tests using a variety of labor law-related questions, ranging in difficulty. The integration of knowledge graphs and information retrieval proves to significantly improve the support provided for a wide range of potential applications in the legal field.