Information flow analysis for conversational agents

A computer-readable medium containing a computer-readable code that when read by a computer causes the computer to perform a method for information flow analysis of conversational agents, the method comprising:

• analyzing a conversational flow specification created by an author and prescribing operation of a conversational agent, the conversational flow specification comprising actions to be taken, inputs triggering the actions and input confirmations executed after receipt of a given input and before triggering a given action, the actions, inputs and input confirmations defining conversational flow paths through the conversational flow specification;
• identifying unconfirmed conversational flow paths through the conversational flow specification, each unconfirmed conversational flow path comprising only inputs and actions;
• and
• reporting the unconfirmed conversational flow paths to the author.

A system for information flow analysis of conversational agents, the system comprising:

• a database storing at least one conversational flow specification created by an author and prescribing operation of a conversational agent, the conversational flow specification comprising actions to be taken, inputs triggering actions and input confirmations executed after receipt of a given input and before triggering a given action, the actions, inputs and input confirmations grouped into a plurality of execution sequences, each execution sequence defining a conversational flow path through the conversational flow specification;
• a control-flow and data-flow analysis engine executing on a computing system in communication with the database to analyze the conversational flow specification and to identify unconfirmed conversational flow paths through the conversational flow specification comprising only inputs and actions;
• and
• an input and output module executing on the computing system and in communication with the control-flow and data-flow analysis engine to report the unconfirmed conversational flow paths to the author.