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Create a proactive conversational agent
Prompt: I want to create a proactive conversational agent. It will read from a database, what information slots it needs to fill. It will engage in a conversation with the user. How can I create this using open source software
You can build a proactive conversational agent using several open-source components. Here's a comprehensive approach:
Core Architecture
Intent Recognition & NLU
- Rasa Open Source: Excellent for intent classification, entity extraction, and dialogue management
- Snips NLU: Lightweight alternative for natural language understanding
- SpaCy: For custom NLP pipelines and named entity recognition
Dialogue Management
- Rasa Core: Handles conversation flow and context tracking
- Botpress: Visual dialogue builder with good slot-filling capabilities
- DeepPavlov: Russian-developed framework with strong conversational AI components
Database Integration
- SQLAlchemy: Python ORM for database operations
- Apache Airflow: For orchestrating data pipelines and proactive triggers
- Redis: For session management and temporary slot storage
Implementation Strategy
Slot Management System Create a configuration-driven approach where your database stores:
- Required information slots for each conversation type
- Validation rules for each slot
- Follow-up questions for missing information
- Priority ordering for slot collection
Proactive Triggers
- Use cron jobs or Apache Airflow to monitor your database
- Implement webhook endpoints for real-time triggers
- Set up event-driven architecture with message queues (Redis/RabbitMQ)
Conversation Flow
Database Query → Missing Slots Identification →
Conversation Initiation → Slot Filling → Validation →
Database Update → Follow-up Actions
Sample Workflow
- Database trigger identifies incomplete user profiles
- Agent initiates conversation via preferred channel (SMS, email, chat)
- Uses Rasa to manage multi-turn dialogue for slot filling
- Validates collected information against business rules
- Updates database and triggers next actions
The key is designing your slot configuration schema to be flexible enough to handle different conversation types while maintaining a consistent dialogue management approach. Would you like me to elaborate on any specific component or provide code examples for particular aspects?
Prompt: elaborate on designing the slot configuration schema
Here's a detailed approach to designing a flexible slot configuration schema that can handle various conversation types and business requirements:
Slot Configuration Database Schema
This ERD shows the complete database schema for the conversational agent's slot configuration system. Here's a breakdown of the key relationships and design decisions:
Core Entity Relationships
conversation_flows serves as the root entity that defines different conversation types (onboarding, surveys, data collection, etc.)
slot_definitions contains the individual data points to collect within each flow, with support for:
- Priority-based ordering
- Conditional dependencies between slots
- Type validation (email, phone, date, etc.)
slot_validations allows multiple validation rules per slot with custom error messages
slot_questions enables context-aware question variations for better user experience
conversation_sessions tracks active conversations with users, storing collected data and session state
slot_collection_attempts provides detailed audit trail of user interactions for analytics and debugging
Let me show you a Python implementation that demonstrates how to work with this schema:
Key Design Features
- Flexibility: The JSONB fields allow for complex validation rules and context conditions without schema changes
- Scalability: Session-based architecture supports pause/resume functionality and concurrent conversations
- Auditability: Complete tracking of user inputs, validation attempts, and conversation flow
- Configuration-Driven: Non-technical users can modify flows, questions, and validations through database updates
This schema supports sophisticated conversation flows while maintaining clean separation between configuration and runtime data.
Required database population
Vendor policy as an example
Summary of Required Database Pre-Population
Before the ISO 27001 vendor management policy conversation can start, the following must be configured in the database:
1. Conversation Flow Definition
- Flow name:
iso27001_vendor_management_policy - Description: Clear purpose statement
- Active status: Must be set to
true
2. Slot Definitions (20 information slots needed)
The system needs to know exactly what information to collect, organized in these categories:
Company Basic Information (4 slots)
- Company name, industry, size, geographic locations
Regulatory Environment (3 slots)
- Regulatory requirements, data protection laws, financial regulations
Current Vendor Landscape (4 slots)
- Critical vendor count, vendor types, cloud services usage, data processing vendors
Risk Management Context (3 slots)
- Risk appetite, business continuity requirements, data classification levels
Organizational Structure (3 slots)
- Procurement process owner, IT security team size, existing vendor governance
Implementation Preferences (3 slots)
- Policy approval authority, implementation timeline, budget constraints
3. Validation Rules
Each slot must have appropriate validation:
- Text fields: Length limits, character restrictions
- Choice fields: Predefined option lists
- Number fields: Range validations
- Boolean fields: Yes/no validation
4. Question Templates
Multiple question types per slot:
- Initial questions: First attempt to gather information
- Clarification questions: When more detail is needed
- Validation error questions: When input is invalid
- Confirmation questions: To verify collected information
5. Dependencies
Some slots depend on others:
- Financial regulations questions only appear for financial services companies
- Follow-up questions based on previous answers
Key Design Considerations
Priority Ordering: Questions are asked in logical sequence (company basics → regulatory context → current state → implementation preferences)
Conditional Logic: Some questions only appear based on previous answers (e.g., financial regulations only for financial services companies)
Professional Context: Questions are phrased appropriately for a consultant-client relationship
ISO 27001 Specific: All information collected directly supports creating a compliant vendor management policy
This configuration enables the agent to conduct a structured, professional consultation that gathers all necessary information while maintaining the context of an ISO 27001 implementation project.
Key Design Principles
1. Configuration-Driven Approach The schema separates business logic from code by storing conversation flows, slot definitions, validations, and questions in the database. This allows non-technical users to modify conversation flows without code changes.
2. Hierarchical Dependencies Slots can depend on other slots with specific values, enabling complex conditional logic (e.g., only ask for phone number if user prefers phone contact).
3. Flexible Validation System Each slot can have multiple validation rules with custom error messages. The JSONB fields allow for complex validation parameters while maintaining type safety.
4. Context-Aware Questions Multiple question variants per slot allow for personalized conversation flows based on context or previous answers.
5. Session Management Robust session tracking allows for conversation pause/resume and handles multi-turn interactions gracefully.
Advanced Features You Can Add
Multi-Language Support: Add language_code to question tables A/B Testing: Version your flows and track performance Dynamic Prioritization: Adjust slot priority based on user behavior Integration Points: Add webhook configurations for external system integration Conversation Analytics: Track completion rates, drop-off points, and user satisfaction
This schema provides a solid foundation that can scale from simple forms to complex multi-step conversations with conditional logic and personalization.
Technical Stack Recommendation
Backend Framework: FastAPI or Flask for API endpoints NLU Engine: Rasa Open Source for robust dialogue management Database: PostgreSQL with SQLAlchemy ORM Message Queue: Redis for real-time processing Frontend: React/Vue.js for any admin interfaces
https://mica-labs.github.io https://github.com/Mica-labs/MICA/tree/main