Apparatus and methods for leveraging machine learning and artificial intelligence to generate a response to an utterance expressed by a user during an interaction between an interactive response system and the user is provided. The methods may include a natural language processor processing the utterance to output an utterance intent. The methods may also include a signal extractor processing the utterance, the utterance intent and previous utterance data to output utterance signals. The methods may additionally include an utterance sentiment classifier using a hierarchy of rules to extract, from a database, a label, the extracting being based on the utterance signals. The methods may further include a sequential neural network classifier using a trained algorithm to process the label and a sequence of historical labels to output a sentiment score. The methods may further include, based on the utterance intent, the label and the score, to output a response.