An automatic answering device configured to answer automatically to a user utterance, the automatic answering device comprising: an input unit configured to accept a user utterance; and an output unit configured to output a reply sentence in a form recognizable by a user, in response to the user utterance accepted by the input unit, wherein the reply sentence is determined based on a conversation scenario which is a set of inputted sentences and reply sentences, the inputted sentences each corresponding to a user utterance assumed to be uttered by the user, the reply sentences each being a reply from the automatic answering device to the inputted sentence, and data of the conversation scenario have a data structure that enables the inputted sentences and the reply sentences to be expressed in a state transition diagram in which the reply sentence corresponding to the inputted sentence is defined as a state (X1 to X7) in the state transition diagram and each of the inputted sentences is defined as a transition of a state in the state transition diagram, characterised in that the conversation scenario includes a scenario which describes a composition of a plurality of transitions and states (X1 to X4) which are coupled to each other in a circulating manner, wherein a first state of the plurality of states (X1 to X4) is coupled by a respective transition to each state of a second plurality of states (X5, X6, X7) that are different from the plurality of states (X1 to X4), and the remaining states (X2 to X4) of the plurality of states (X1 to X4) are coupled by respective transitions to respective states of the second plurality of states (X6, X5, X7), such that a closed loop is formed by the inputted sentences and the reply sentences in the scenario. an input unit configured to accept a user utterance; and an output unit configured to output a reply sentence in a form recognizable by a user, in response to the user utterance accepted by the input unit, wherein the reply sentence is determined based on a conversation scenario which is a set of inputted sentences and reply sentences, the inputted sentences each corresponding to a user utterance assumed to be uttered by the user, the reply sentences each being a reply from the automatic answering device to the inputted sentence, and data of the conversation scenario have a data structure that enables the inputted sentences and the reply sentences to be expressed in a state transition diagram in which the reply sentence corresponding to the inputted sentence is defined as a state (X1 to X7) in the state transition diagram and each of the inputted sentences is defined as a transition of a state in the state transition diagram, characterised in that the conversation scenario includes a scenario which describes a composition of a plurality of transitions and states (X1 to X4) which are coupled to each other in a circulating manner, wherein a first state of the plurality of states (X1 to X4) is coupled by a respective transition to each state of a second plurality of states (X5, X6, X7) that are different from the plurality of states (X1 to X4), and the remaining states (X2 to X4) of the plurality of states (X1 to X4) are coupled by respective transitions to respective states of the second plurality of states (X6, X5, X7), such that a closed loop is formed by the inputted sentences and the reply sentences in the scenario.