What is LayoutLM and its versions (v1, v2, v3)?

LayoutLM is a family of deep learning models developed by Microsoft for processing documents, taking into account not only the text but also their visual and structural layout. This is especially useful for tasks like document recognition and analysis, such as forms, invoices, and contracts.

Main versions:

• LayoutLM v1: the first version that combines information about the text and the positioning of words on the page using transformer architecture.

• LayoutLM v2: an improved version that adds visual features (e.g., images of pages) and deeper interaction between text and visual information, increasing accuracy.

• LayoutLM v3: an even more advanced model that integrates text, visual, and positional data more effectively, enhancing understanding of complex documents.

It is used in Document AI and OCR tasks for automatic information extraction from documents, considering their structure and visual design.