Utilizing a computing device to detect and respond to emotion in dialog systems. The computing device receives a dialog structure comprising a plurality of dialog nodes. The computing device determines a node emotion level for each of the dialog nodes in the dialog structure based on analysis of one or more intents of each of the dialog nodes in the dialog structure. The computing device determines emotional hotspot nodes in the dialog structure, the node emotion level for each of the emotional hotspot nodes exceeding an emotional threshold. The computing device generates one or more responses modifying the node emotion level of each of the emotional hotspot nodes.