Groupchat send introductions (#961)

* Allow the GroupChatManager to send introductions.

* Fixed function name.

* Added test cases for sending introductions.

* Trying to sort out why remote pytest is failing.

* Fixed broken plugin behavior.

* Update autogen/agentchat/groupchat.py

Co-authored-by: Chi Wang <wang.chi@microsoft.com>

* Updated as per Chi's suggestions.

---------

Co-authored-by: Chi Wang <wang.chi@microsoft.com>
Co-authored-by: Eric Zhu <ekzhu@users.noreply.github.com>

autogen/agentchat/groupchat.py

@@ -58,7 +58,8 @@ class GroupChat:
         Must be supplied if `allowed_or_disallowed_speaker_transitions` is not None.
     - enable_clear_history: enable possibility to clear history of messages for agents manually by providing
         "clear history" phrase in user prompt. This is experimental feature.
-        See description of `GroupChatManager.clear_agents_history` function for more info.
+        See description of GroupChatManager.clear_agents_history function for more info.
+    - send_introductions: send a round of introductions at the start of the group chat, so agents know who they can speak to (default: False)
     """
 
     agents: List[Agent]
@@ -71,6 +72,7 @@ class GroupChat:
     allowed_or_disallowed_speaker_transitions: Optional[Dict] = None
     speaker_transitions_type: Optional[str] = None
     enable_clear_history: Optional[bool] = False
+    send_introductions: Optional[bool] = False
 
     _VALID_SPEAKER_SELECTION_METHODS = ["auto", "manual", "random", "round_robin"]
     _VALID_SPEAKER_TRANSITIONS_TYPE = ["allowed", "disallowed", None]
@@ -229,6 +231,16 @@ Then select the next role from {[agent.name for agent in agents]} to play. Only
             agents = self.agents
         return f"Read the above conversation. Then select the next role from {[agent.name for agent in agents]} to play. Only return the role."
 
+    def introductions_msg(self, agents: Optional[List[Agent]] = None) -> str:
+        """Return the system message for selecting the next speaker. This is always the *first* message in the context."""
+        if agents is None:
+            agents = self.agents
+
+        return f"""Hello everyone. We have assembled a great team today to answer questions and solve tasks. In attendance are:
+
+{self._participant_roles(agents)}
+"""
+
     def manual_select_speaker(self, agents: Optional[List[Agent]] = None) -> Union[Agent, None]:
         """Manually select the next speaker."""
         if agents is None:
@@ -535,6 +547,16 @@ class GroupChatManager(ConversableAgent):
         message = messages[-1]
         speaker = sender
         groupchat = config
+        send_introductions = getattr(groupchat, "send_introductions", False)
+
+        if send_introductions:
+            # Broadcast the intro
+            intro = groupchat.introductions_msg()
+            for agent in groupchat.agents:
+                self.send(intro, agent, request_reply=False, silent=True)
+            # NOTE: We do not also append to groupchat.messages,
+            # since groupchat handles its own introductions
+
         if self.client_cache is not None:
             for a in groupchat.agents:
                 a.previous_cache = a.client_cache
@@ -598,6 +620,16 @@ class GroupChatManager(ConversableAgent):
         message = messages[-1]
         speaker = sender
         groupchat = config
+        send_introductions = getattr(groupchat, "send_introductions", False)
+
+        if send_introductions:
+            # Broadcast the intro
+            intro = groupchat.introductions_msg()
+            for agent in groupchat.agents:
+                self.a_send(intro, agent, request_reply=False, silent=True)
+            # NOTE: We do not also append to groupchat.messages,
+            # since groupchat handles its own introductions
+
         if self.client_cache is not None:
             for a in groupchat.agents:
                 a.previous_cache = a.client_cache

test/agentchat/test_groupchat.py

@@ -448,6 +448,110 @@ def test_next_agent():
     assert groupchat.next_agent(agent4, [agent1, agent2, agent3]) == agent1
 
 
+def test_send_intros():
+    agent1 = autogen.ConversableAgent(
+        "alice",
+        description="The first agent.",
+        max_consecutive_auto_reply=10,
+        human_input_mode="NEVER",
+        llm_config=False,
+        default_auto_reply="This is alice speaking. TERMINATE",
+    )
+    agent2 = autogen.ConversableAgent(
+        "bob",
+        description="The second agent.",
+        max_consecutive_auto_reply=10,
+        human_input_mode="NEVER",
+        llm_config=False,
+        default_auto_reply="This is bob speaking. TERMINATE",
+    )
+    agent3 = autogen.ConversableAgent(
+        "sam",
+        description="The third agent.",
+        max_consecutive_auto_reply=10,
+        human_input_mode="NEVER",
+        llm_config=False,
+        default_auto_reply="This is sam speaking. TERMINATE",
+    )
+    agent4 = autogen.ConversableAgent(
+        "sally",
+        description="The fourth agent.",
+        max_consecutive_auto_reply=10,
+        human_input_mode="NEVER",
+        llm_config=False,
+        default_auto_reply="This is sally speaking. TERMINATE",
+    )
+
+    # Test empty is_termination_msg function
+    groupchat = autogen.GroupChat(
+        agents=[agent1, agent2, agent3],
+        messages=[],
+        speaker_selection_method="round_robin",
+        max_round=10,
+        send_introductions=True,
+    )
+
+    intro = groupchat.introductions_msg()
+    assert "The first agent." in intro
+    assert "The second agent." in intro
+    assert "The third agent." in intro
+    assert "The fourth agent." not in intro
+
+    intro = groupchat.introductions_msg([agent1, agent2, agent4])
+    assert "The first agent." in intro
+    assert "The second agent." in intro
+    assert "The third agent." not in intro
+    assert "The fourth agent." in intro
+
+    groupchat = autogen.GroupChat(
+        agents=[agent1, agent2, agent3],
+        messages=[],
+        speaker_selection_method="round_robin",
+        max_round=10,
+        send_introductions=True,
+    )
+
+    group_chat_manager = autogen.GroupChatManager(
+        groupchat=groupchat,
+        llm_config=False,
+        is_termination_msg=lambda x: x.get("content", "").rstrip().find("TERMINATE") >= 0,
+    )
+
+    group_chat_manager.initiate_chat(group_chat_manager, message="The initiating message.")
+    for a in [agent1, agent2, agent3]:
+        messages = agent1.chat_messages[group_chat_manager]
+        assert len(messages) == 3
+        assert "The first agent." in messages[0]["content"]
+        assert "The second agent." in messages[0]["content"]
+        assert "The third agent." in messages[0]["content"]
+        assert "The initiating message." == messages[1]["content"]
+        assert messages[2]["content"] == agent1._default_auto_reply
+
+    # Reset and start again
+    agent1.reset()
+    agent2.reset()
+    agent3.reset()
+    agent4.reset()
+
+    # Check the default (no introductions)
+    groupchat2 = autogen.GroupChat(
+        agents=[agent1, agent2, agent3], messages=[], speaker_selection_method="round_robin", max_round=10
+    )
+
+    group_chat_manager2 = autogen.GroupChatManager(
+        groupchat=groupchat2,
+        llm_config=False,
+        is_termination_msg=lambda x: x.get("content", "").rstrip().find("TERMINATE") >= 0,
+    )
+
+    group_chat_manager2.initiate_chat(group_chat_manager2, message="The initiating message.")
+    for a in [agent1, agent2, agent3]:
+        messages = agent1.chat_messages[group_chat_manager2]
+        assert len(messages) == 2
+        assert "The initiating message." == messages[0]["content"]
+        assert messages[1]["content"] == agent1._default_auto_reply
+
+
 def test_selection_helpers():
     agent1 = autogen.ConversableAgent(
         "alice",
@@ -814,6 +918,7 @@ if __name__ == "__main__":
     # test_agent_mentions()
     # test_termination()
     # test_next_agent()
+    test_send_intros()
     # test_invalid_allow_repeat_speaker()
     # test_graceful_exit_before_max_round()
-    test_clear_agents_history()
+    # test_clear_agents_history()