ISTA – AI Chatbot

Challenges

ISTA faces several challenges in effectively sharing its knowledge and research data among its global membership. Information is often fragmented and buried across files and research reports, making it difficult for members to locate relevant content quickly. The growing volume of technical documents and test protocols contributes to information overload, while limited search functionality hampers users from retrieving precise, contextual answers. Inconsistencies in how members interpret and apply standards further hinder knowledge sharing, and reliance on expert responses can lead to delays. New members may struggle with onboarding due to the complexity of resources, and as ISTA’s membership expands, providing timely, scalable support becomes increasingly difficult. Additionally, data security and confidentiality concerns make open sharing problematic, and language barriers can limit accessibility for international members.

Solution

To address ISTA’s challenges in knowledge sharing, implementing standardized processes, and member engagement, Invonto developed a custom, self-hosted knowledgebase AI chatbot tailored specifically to ISTA’s business and operational needs. Invonto’s AI development team went through rigorous testing of various large language models (LLMs), including ChatGPT, Llama, and Mistral, before identifying Mistral’s LLM to be a good middle ground for ISTA’s needs. Using an open-source LLM such as Mistral allowed for a self-hosting approach, giving ISTA more control and security over sharing their proprietary data.

The knowledgebase AI chatbot leverages Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG) to intelligently process and surface information from ISTA’s extensive library of test protocols, research papers, and technical documentation. By integrating secure document ingestion and real-time semantic search, the AI chatbot provides accurate, context-aware responses to complex queries, reducing dependence on the ISTA team and accelerating access to critical information, saving members hundreds of hours. Invonto also implemented proprietary formulas ISTA leverages to further improve Chatbot’s response to more technical prompts. Invonto further modified the chatbot to cite sources and link to source documents, making it significantly convenient for members to interact with the knowledge base.

The system is designed to ensure data confidentiality while maintaining scalability and potentially introducing multilingual support for ISTA’s global member base. Solution is designed to scale by integrating with ISTA’s other digital products and enabling AI agents within these systems to automate many of the business functions for ISTA members. Overall, the chatbot offers an intuitive user experience, enhancing collaboration, consistency, and innovation across ISTA’s ecosystem.

Tech Stack

Results

With a custom self-hosted knowledgebase AI chatbot, ISTA gained significant operational and strategic benefits. Members can now access the information they need easily and instantly without having to go through information buried and spread across documents. The self-hosted approach provided the security needed to protect proprietary data. The solution can scale as business needs evolve and as technology advances. ISTA’s AI chatbot can be extended to interface with ISTA’s other digital products and automate workflows by implementing AI agents across the system. Overall, with a knowledgebase AI chatbot, ISTA strengthens member engagement, streamlines knowledge sharing, and positions itself as a modern and technology-forward organization.