Graphical and statistical communication patterns of automated conversational agents in collaborative computer-mediated communication systems

Automated conversational agents, also known as “chatbots” or “chatterbots,” are computer programs used in a variety of collaborative communications systems, often for entertainment or business purposes. However, their use as malicious tools has more recently made them a growing nuisance and security concern. We present a detailed graphical and statistical analysis of communication patterns (specifically involving message sizes and inter-message delays) for improving the detection of automated conversational agents in collaborative computer-mediated communication systems.