Automated chatbot generation from an interactive voice response tree

A computer-implemented method comprising:

• receiving, as input, an interactive voice response (IVR) tree, wherein said IVR tree is configured to implement one or more tasks, and wherein each of said one or more tasks is associated with one or more IVR node paths, each comprising a plurality of IVR nodes arranged in a hierarchical relationship within said IVR tree;
• analyzing said IVR tree to identify one or more intent IVR nodes, each associated with one of said tasks, wherein each of said intent IVR nodes comprises a selection dialog node representing two or more options for selection by a user of said IVR tree, and wherein each of said intent IVR nodes is not immediately succeeded by another IVR node within said hierarchical relationship;
• with respect to each of said intent IVR nodes, identifying a plurality of corresponding entity IVR nodes included within the one or more IVR node paths associated with said intent IVR node;
• assembling one or more task-specific chatbot skills, each comprising (i) one of said intent IVR nodes, and (ii) at least some of said plurality of corresponding entity IVR nodes, wherein each of said task-specific chatbot skills is configured to perform one of said tasks by conducting a dialog with a user;
• and
• generating a chatbot comprising at least one of said task-specific chatbot skills.

A computer program product comprising a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by at least one hardware processor to:

• receive, as input, an interactive voice response (IVR) tree, wherein said IVR tree is configured to implement one or more tasks, and wherein each of said one or more tasks is associated with one or more IVR node paths, each comprising a plurality of IVR nodes arranged in a hierarchical relationship within said IVR tree;
• analyze said IVR tree to identify one or more intent IVR nodes, each associated with one of said tasks, wherein each of said intent IVR nodes comprises a selection dialog node representing two or more options for selection by a user of said IVR tree, and wherein each of said intent IVR nodes is not immediately succeeded by another selection IVR node within said hierarchical relationship;
• with respect to each of said intent IVR nodes, identify a plurality of corresponding entity IVR nodes included within the one or more IVR node paths associated with said intent IVR node;
• assemble one or more task-specific chatbot skills, each comprising (i) one of said intent IVR nodes, and (ii) at least some of said plurality of corresponding entity IVR nodes, wherein each of said task-specific chatbot skills is configured to perform one of said tasks by conducting a dialog with a user;
• and
• generate a chatbot comprising at least one of said task-specific chatbot skills.