PhD “Knowledge Integration and Traceability in a GraphRAG-Based Question-Answering System”

Job title:

PhD “Knowledge Integration and Traceability in a GraphRAG-Based Question-Answering System”

Company:

Orange

Job description

about the roleYour role is to conduct PhD thesis on the “Knowledge Integration and Traceability in a GraphRAG-Based Question-Answering System”Problem Statement
The rise of AI conversational agents, has transformed the way information is searched. Tools like Le Chat or ChatGPT have proven effective in information retrieval tasks. However, these tools face limitations when it comes to leveraging up-to-date and company-specific knowledge. This gap has led to an increasing demand for solutions capable of exploiting internal company databases.
Enterprise Knowledge Graphs (EKGs) are emerging as a strategic resource covering the technical and organizational domains of the company. These graphs have reached notable maturity and offer significant potential to enhance the precision and traceability of information retrieval systems. However, effectively integrating these graphs with large language models (LLMs) remains a major challenge.
Scientific Objective
The central problematic of this PhD thesis is to enhance the robustness, precision, traceability, and autonomy of an information retrieval system based on the synergy between a Large Language Model (LLM) and an Enterprise Knowledge Graph (EKG) using a GraphRAG architecture. This approach aims to overcome the current limitations of Generative AI tools (e.g., hallucination, mistrust, information obsolescence) by leveraging the specific and up-to-date knowledge of the enterprise.One of the key challenges is the balanced injection of knowledge, avoiding the “lost in the middle” information problem. Additionally, user trust in the system is crucial for its adoption. Therefore, it is essential to design an operational mode that strengthens this trust while encouraging users to contribute to the enrichment of the knowledge graphs. Furthermore, the autonomy of LLM agents can be improved through a better understanding of user intentions and the orchestration of specialized models for specific tasks. The responses provided to users can become increasingly personalized as the system is used and the history of past interactions is taken into account.
The objectives of this thesis are crystallized in the following tasks :

• Refine Context Collection: Enhance the collection of contexts by an orchestrating agent and explore new re-ranking methods that leverage the knowledge graph.
• Develop mechanisms to manage the traceability and transparency of generated responses by providing sources in a mode that allows broader consultation and exploration of knowledge. Define a virtuous loop between user feedback collection, graph modification, and updating the information retrieval engine.
• Enhance User Intention Understanding: Improve the understanding of user intentions and define a complex action plan (data collection, service execution, e.g., API Orange Developer).
• Develop a Prototype Service: Design, develop, and deploy a prototype service that makes the enterprise’s data more exploitable.

about youSkills (Scientific and Technical) and Personal Qualities Required for the Position

• You have knowledge of Deep Learning and have implemented learning algorithms.
• You possess skills in Natural Language Processing with a focus on language models (e.g. fine-tuning).
• You are proficient in several Semantic Web technologies, particularly the knowledge representation languages RDF/RDFS and the query language SPARQL.
• You have the necessary skills for software development and a strong knowledge of the Python language.
• You have good writing skills in both French and English.

You can deliver presentations in French and English and can adapt your discourse to the audience. * You enjoy finding solutions to meet needs and are not afraid to question yourself.

• You are capable of successfully completing a project and are proactive in proposing solutions.
• You are enthusiastic, autonomous, and proactive.
• You have strong analytical skills and are meticulous in executing your mission.

Required Education (Master’s, Engineering Degree, PhD, Scientific and Technical Fields)

• You hold a professional or research Master’s degree or are a graduate of an engineering school in computer science, preferably with a specialization in one or more areas of artificial intelligence.

Desired Experience (Internships, etc.)

• Use of Deep Learning algorithms
• Manipulation of language models
• Construction and querying of knowledge graphs

additional informationThe PhD thesis will contribute to innovative research at the intersection of knowledge engineering, natural language processing and information retrieval. In this role, you will have the opportunity to develop your skills in applied research in the field of artificial intelligence, deepen your knowledge of language models and knowledge graphs, and enhance your project management and scientific communication abilities. You will work on an innovative project that will allow you to expand your professional network and contribute to high-level publications.The PhD candidate will benefit from multidisciplinary supervision by experts and researchers in the fields of knowledge engineering and fine-tuning of language models. Scientific articles will be produced throughout the thesis based on the progress made. Targeted conferences and journals will include major international references in the fields of the Semantic Web (e.g., ESWC, ISWC, EKAW, JoWS, SWJ), NLP (EACL, ACL, EMNLP, COLING), and information retrieval (SIGIR, ECIR, CIKM).departmentOrange Innovation brings together the research and innovation activities and expertise of the Group’s entities and countries. We work every day to ensure that Orange is recognized as an innovative operator by its customers and we create value for the Group and the Brand in each of our projects. With 720 researchers, thousands of marketers, developers, designers and data analysts, it is the expertise of our 6,000 employees that fuels this ambition every day.Orange Innovation anticipates technological breakthroughs and supports the Group’s countries and entities in making the best technological choices to meet the needs of our consumer and business customers.Within Innovation, you will be integrated into a research team at the forefront of innovation and expertise in the field of AI. Our dynamic team leverages artificial intelligence techniques to develop applications ranging from optimizing and automating the management of mobile, fixed, and vehicular networks to data governance and improving customer experience. You will have the opportunity to join us at our premises in the Techn’hom business park in Belfort, where you will participate in a research project focused on structuring knowledge in enterprise knowledge graphs and enhancing their value using large language models.contractThesis

Expected salary

Location

Belfort, Territoire-de-Belfort

Job date

Wed, 26 Mar 2025 23:56:02 GMT

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