A chatbot, often also referred to as a conversational bot, an automated agent or an AI-driven software program, is a technology that can provide natural-language interactions through text or voice recognition. Essentially, it enables users to communicate with a computer in an automated fashion to perform tasks such as customer service inquiries, web searches, online shopping, or other automated activities.
Definition
A chatbot is a computer application that enables a conversation between a user and a computer. Unlike traditional user interfaces that use static inputs and outputs, chatbots use natural language processing (NLP) to enable natural conversation between users and a computer. The conversations may take place via text, audio or video, depending on the chatbot’s capabilities. Chatbots are powered by machine learning algorithms that enable them to understand and respond to user input in a more natural way.
Applications
Chatbots are commonly used in customer service to facilitate quick responses to inquiries or provide personalized customer support. They are also used in online shopping, to make sales or deliveries and to answer customer inquiries. There are also educational chatbots, used by students to learn a language or perform certain tasks, and health and wellness chatbots, used to monitor user health and provide reminders to take medications. Additionally, chatbots are being used to process payments or to carry out business functions such as financial planning.
Benefits
Chatbots offer a range of advantages over traditional user interfaces, including cost savings, improved efficiency, and greater responsiveness. Because chatbots do not require manual input, they can be used to automate processes that were previously labor intensive, freeing up employees to perform more important tasks. Chatbots also allow for a more personal interaction with customers, providing tailored responses to individual queries. They also reduce error rates, as well as response times, by performing automated activities faster than humans.
Issues
A common issue with chatbots is the difficulty in understanding user input ‒ chatbot technology is not yet advanced enough to be able to understand all forms of input. In order for chatbots to provide an accurate response, they need to understand the context of conversation, which can be challenging, particularly for complex queries. Additionally, chatbots may suffer from oversimplification ‒ reducing complex problems to simple yes-or-no responses.
Example
A good example of a chatbot is a customer service chatbot. This type of chatbot is able to quickly understand customer queries and provide personalized responses. For instance, a customer service chatbot could provide answers to frequently asked questions or provide detailed step-by-step instructions. Such a chatbot could also process customer orders, provide product recommendations, or offer additional services such as tracking an order.
Conclusion
Chatbots are rapidly growing in popularity and are an important tool for businesses looking to automate processes and interact with customers. Chatbots eliminate the need for manual input and enable natural conversation with users via text or voice recognition. However, as with any computer application, there are some issues that need to be taken into consideration ‒ that is, difficulty in understanding user input and oversimplification ‒ which the user must be aware of. Despite this, chatbots can be a tool that offers significant benefits in terms of cost savings and improved efficiency.
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