Semantic Captioning: Benchmark Dataset and Graph-Aware Few-Shot In-Context Learning for SQL2Text

Feb 1, 2025·
Ali Al Lawati
Jason Lucas
Jason Lucas
,
Prasenjit Mitra
· 1 min read
Abstract
Large Language Models (LLMs) have demonstrated remarkable performance in various NLP tasks, including semantic parsing, which translates natural language into formal code representations. However, the reverse operation, translating code into natural language, termed semantic captioning, has received less attention. This task is increasingly important as LLMs are integrated into platforms for code generation, security analysis, and educational purposes. In this paper, we focus on the captioning of SQL query (SQ2Text) to address the critical need for understanding and explaining SQL queries in an era where LLM-generated code poses potential security risks. We repurpose semantic parsing datasets for semantic captioning, specifically SQL2Text. To overcome the limited robustness of Text2SQL datasets for the reverse task, we introduce an iterative ICL prompt leveraging GPT-4o to generate multiple additional utterances. We conduct experiments across multiple in-context learning (ICL) methods, emphasizing smaller, more computationally efficient LLMs. Our findings demonstrate that leveraging the inherent graph properties of SQL for few-shot ICL sample selection significantly outperforms random selection by up to 39% on BLEU score and provides better results than alternative approaches. Dataset and codes are accessible.
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Publication
In Proceedings of the 31st International Conference on Computational Linguistics
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Dataset and codes are accessible for research use.

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Semantic Parsing SQL In-Context Learning Code Understanding
Authors
Ali Al Lawati
Jason Lucas
Authors
Jason Lucas
Ph.D. Candidate · Incoming Assistant Professor & Director, Secure and Ethical AI Lab (SEAL) — CU Boulder (Aug 2026)

I am a PhD candidate in Informatics in the College of IST at Penn State University, where I conduct research at the PIKE Research Lab under the guidance of Dr. Dongwon Lee. Starting August 2026, I will join the Department of Information Science at the College of Media, Communication and Information (CMDI), University of Colorado Boulder, as a Tenure-Track Assistant Professor and founding Director of the Secure and Ethical AI Lab (SEAL). My research advances trustworthy and equitable AI for the world’s languages and communities — spanning multilingual NLP, low-resource and dialectal language technology, AI safety, and information integrity, with work extending across 70+ languages. I have authored 14+ peer-reviewed papers with 315+ citations in premier venues including ACL, EMNLP, NAACL, ICML, and IEEE.

My doctoral research focuses on bridging the digital language divide through transfer learning, classification (NLU), generation (NLG), adversarial attacks, and developing end-to-end AI pipelines using RAG and Agentic AI workflows for combating multilingual threats. Drawing from my Grenadian background and knowledge of local Creole languages, I bring a global perspective to AI challenges, working to democratize state-of-the-art AI capabilities for underserved linguistic communities worldwide. My mission is to develop robust multilingual multimodal systems and mitigate evolving security vulnerabilities while enhancing access to human language technology through cutting-edge solutions.

As an NSF LinDiv Fellow, I conduct transdisciplinary research advancing human-AI language interaction for social good. I actively mentor 5+ research interns and teach Applied Generative AI courses. Through industry experience at Lawrence Livermore National Lab, Interaction LLC, and Coalfire, I bridge academic research with practical applications in combating evolving security threats and enhancing global AI accessibility. I see multilingual advances and interdisciplinary collaboration as a competitive advantage, not a communication challenge. Beyond research, I stay active through dance, fitness, martial arts, and community service.

Authors
Prasenjit Mitra