IP Library Granted Patent US 10,726,827
Granted Patent B2
US 10,726,827 · App. 16/006,990 · Granted Jul 28, 2020

System, method and computer program product for assessing the capabilities of a conversation agent via black box testing

Inventors: Alan Braz (São Paulo, BR); Heloisa Caroline De Souza Pereira Candello (São Paulo, BR); Claudio Santos Pinhanez (São Paulo, BR); Marisa Affonso Vasconcelos (São Paulo, BR)
Assignee: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
G10L15/01G06F11/28G06F40/20G10L13/08G10L15/18G10L15/22G10L15/30G10L25/51G10L13/00G10L15/26
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 10,726,827
App. No.
16/006,990
Granted
Jul 28, 2020
Kind
B2
Abstract

A conversational agent capability assessment method, system, and computer program product, includes assessing a performance, a personality and a cognitive trait of a conversational agent based on natural written language by a second conversational agent by combining an analysis of a plurality of metrics that each compare a metric from the conversational agent with a metric from the second conversational agent and producing a report detailing the performance, the personality, and the cognitive trait of the conversational agent.

Claims (61)

1. A computer-implemented conversational agent capability assessment method, the method comprising:

assessing a performance, a personality and a cognitive trait of a conversational agent based on natural written language by a second conversational agent by combining an analysis of a plurality of metrics that each compare a metric from the conversational agent with a metric from the second conversational agent; and

producing a report detailing the performance, the personality, and the cognitive trait of the conversational agent by running a comparison between a result of the assessing and an expected result,

wherein the second conversation agent deploys at least two different types of personalities, and

wherein the assessing comprises:

obtaining data to create at least one scenario for testing the conversational agent; and

performing a set of tests using a scenario of the at least one scenario created to assess a capability of the conversational agent including the performance, the personality and the cognitive trait.

2. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 ,

wherein each of the at least one created scenario comprises a user input to cause an aspect of the conversational agent to be tested.

3. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the performing the set of tests comprises testing at least one of:

a natural language ability of the conversational agent;

performance metrics of the conversational agent;

pattern dialogue flow of the conversational agent;

a response to an unexpected user input by the conversational agent;

a dialog personalization of the conversational agent;

a knowledge base of the conversational agent; and

a cognitive ability of the conversational agent.

4. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the expected result includes at least one of:

a capability of a different conversational agent; and

a capability of a different version of a same conversational agent being tested.

5. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , wherein the at least one created scenario include a speech-to-text and a text-to-speech conversion to assess the capability of the conversational agent for both of a textual input conversational agent and a speech input conversational agent.

6. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , further comprising storing the result from the set of tests to be used for a future comparison by the comparing.

7. The computer-implemented method of claim 2 , further comprising generating a report of the result of the capability of the conversational agent for a human user.

8. The computer-implemented method of claim 7 , further comprising suggesting an action for the human user to modify the conversational agent based on the report of the result of the capability of the conversational agent.

9. The computer-implemented method of claim 1 , embodied in a cloud-computing environment.

10. A computer program product for conversational agent capability assessment, the computer program product comprising a computer-readable storage medium having program instructions embodied therewith, the program instructions executable by a computer to cause the computer to perform:

assessing a performance, a personality and a cognitive trait of a conversational agent based on natural written language by a second conversational agent by combining an analysis of a plurality of metrics that each compare a metric from the conversational agent with a metric from the second conversational agent; and

producing a report detailing the performance, the personality, and the cognitive trait of the conversational agent by running a comparison between a result of the assessing and an expected result,

wherein the second conversation agent deploys at least two different types of personalities, and

wherein the assessing comprises:

obtaining data to create at least one scenario for testing the conversational agent; and

performing a set of tests using a scenario of the at least one scenario created to assess a capability of the conversational agent including the performance, the personality and the cognitive trait.

11. The computer program product of claim 10 , and

wherein each of the at least one created scenario comprises a user input to cause an aspect of the conversational agent to be tested.

12. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the performing the set of tests comprises testing at least one of:

a natural language ability of the conversational agent;

performance metrics of the conversational agent;

pattern dialogue flow of the conversational agent;

a response to an unexpected user input by the conversational agent;

a dialog personalization of the conversational agent;

a knowledge base of the conversational agent; and

a cognitive ability of the conversational agent.

13. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the expected result includes at least one of:

a capability of a different conversational agent; and

a capability of a different version of a same conversational agent being tested.

14. The computer program product of claim 11 , wherein the at least one created scenario includes a speech-to-text and a text-to-speech conversion to assess the capability of the conversational agent for both of a textual input conversational agent and a speech input conversational agent.

15. The computer program product of claim 11 , further comprising storing the result from the set of tests to be used for a future comparison by the comparing.

16. The computer program product of claim 11 , further comprising generating a report of the result of the capability of the conversational agent for a human user.

17. The computer program product of claim 16 , further comprising suggesting an action for the human user to modify the conversational agent based on the report of the result of the capability of the conversational agent.

18. A conversational agent capability assessment system, said system comprising:

a processor; and

a memory, the memory storing instructions to cause the processor to perform:

assessing a performance, a personality and a cognitive trait of a conversational agent based on natural written language by a second conversational agent by combining an analysis of a plurality of metrics that each compare a metric from the conversational agent with a metric from the second conversational agent; and

producing a report detailing the performance, the personality, and the cognitive trait of the conversational agent by running a comparison between a result of the assessing and an expected result,

wherein the second conversation agent deploys at least two different types of personalities, and

wherein the assessing comprises:

obtaining data to create at least one scenario for testing the conversational agent; and

performing a set of tests using a scenario of the at least one scenario created to assess a capability of the conversational agent including the performance, the personality and the cognitive trait.

19. The system of claim 18 , and

wherein each of the at least one created scenario comprises a user input to cause an aspect of the conversational agent to be tested.

20. The system of claim 18 , embodied in a cloud-computing environment.

Assignments (2)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 15, 2021
From: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
To: AIRBNB, INC.
Reel/Frame 056427/0193 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jun 13, 2018
From: BRAZ, ALAN; DE SOUZA PEREIRA CANDELLO, HELOISA CAROLINE; PINHANEZ, CLAUDIO SANTOS; VASCONCELOS, MARISA AFFONSO
To: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION
Reel/Frame 046069/0489 →
Cited By (1)
US 12,627,619