INTENT: Interactive Tensor Transformation Synthesis

There is a growing interest in adopting Deep Learning (DL) given its superior performance in many domains. However, modern DL frameworks such as TensorFlow often come with a steep learning curve. In this work, we propose INTENT, an interactive system that infers user intent and generates corresponding TensorFlow code on behalf of users. INTENT helps users understand and validate the semantics of generated code by rendering individual tensor transformation steps with intermediate results and element-wise data provenance. Users can further guide INTENT by marking certain TensorFlow operators as desired or undesired, or directly manipulating the generated code. A within-subjects user study with 18 participants shows that users can finish programming tasks in TensorFlow more successfully with only half the time, compared with a variant of INTENT that has no interaction or visualization support.