Chatbots are emerging as the next big thing in digital innovation. They have become widespread with one chatbot being used by over 10 million people. Corporations, banks, and publishers are also keen to get their hands on this technology.
The Economist reports that “chatbots already handle tens of
millions of customer support queries every day” and that demand for chatbot
developers will only increase as they become a common fixture in our everyday
lives.
The people behind the chatbots
The people behind the chatbots are an interesting bunch—some
are experts in machine learning and artificial intelligence who have been
experimenting with these technologies for years. Others are technologically
adept but do not necessarily have computer science or programming backgrounds.
And still others are working from home or in a coffee shop, without a formal
education in either computer science, math or statistics.
This all adds to the mystery behind bots and why we are
seeing so many new kinds of chatbots cropping up today, compared to how few
there were even a few years ago. We are also witnessing the development of
chatbots that aren’t just text-based but rather use pictures, audio and video.
What are some of the possibilities of chatbots?
Chatbots have started to show their capabilities in various
sectors around the world such as entertainment, healthcare, e-commerce, finance
and education. Technology companies such as Facebook, and Chinese companies
like Tencent are leading many of the initial developments for this new type of
technology.
In China, Tencent is a $240 billion company that has over
850 million users. With its WeChat messaging app, it manages customer
relationships with several billion users. Its chatbot ‘Ma’ was launched in
early 2017 and is capable of rendering various services and shopping options;
it can be used to find restaurants, hotels, movie tickets and exhibitions.
Users can even send money to each other using that chatbot.
In the US, Facebook is the leading chatbot developer and has
a variety of chatbots available. Last year they launched their chatbot for
Messenger along with their new intelligent assistant called M, which connects
to over 1 billion people weekly using Facebook Messenger.
Chatbots are gradually becoming more sophisticated and are
able to carry out complex tasks by using various machine learning algorithms
and artificial intelligence. In fact, they are getting more human-like every
day. For example, Facebook’s chatbot researcher Dhruv Batra claims that in the
not-too-distant future “we will forget if we are talking to a machine or a
human”.
In the near future we will see a huge increase in the number
of chatbots being used as systems for customer care and as personal assistants.
People will also find their lives easier as they interact with these chatbots
in a variety of ways such as chatting, texting, emailing, video conferencing
and voice chatting.
The introduction of chatbots will likely affect traditional
business models and the way we do business online. Chatbots are now poised to
disrupt the entire ecosystem of commerce, media and entertainment by automating
businesses processes at scale. They offer tremendous opportunities in
accelerating time to market for new products or services by reducing costs
substantially.
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What are some of the challenges that chatbots face?
Chatbots have not been developed to full capacity yet. While
some of them are phenomenal, others still have a long way to go.
For example, for instance, Facebook’s M chatbot apparently
has trouble when asked “where is Palestine?”; it doesn’t understand the
question and responds with a link to an article about U2 singer Bono.
In light of chatbot use, a UK company came up with “One bot,
one click” which allows users to get everything from a particular airline
ticket to directions to the best personal trainer in an hour. However, the
company’s “real-time bot” tool has been widely criticized because customers often
experienced delays of several minutes before the bots attempted to respond.
Some customers complained on Facebook and Twitter about their experiences.
Other chatbots have also been criticized for not being able
to answer even simple questions such as how long it will take to reach a
destination on public transportation. Another chatbot developer is planning to
launch an app that will allow people seeking casual to connect with the bot
and others looking for the same, so they can meet in person and go on a date.
This has raised concerns about privacy and safety, especially since the app
highlights a user’s location.
A larger problem is that over time, expectations are going
to rise for what chatbots can do. Soon, they will become so sophisticated that
it will be difficult for them to fit within the current regulatory framework.
It is also equally important to take into account the potential threat of
cyberattacks and hacking.Additionally, some of these chatbots can be hacked or
may get outdated.
Conclusion
The rise of chatbots has led to various new applications in
different sectors such as finance, wellness, entertainment and education. This
has increased the need for more experts in artificial intelligence and machine
learning that can create the next generation of chatbots. Automation is
expected to transform many industries, as it will eliminate labor-intensive
jobs and increase efficiency. However, it is important to consider the social
implications of automation, including how to deal with the displacement of
workers and whether these same functions can be performed by other jobs.
In order to fully understand if this new technology will have a long-term impact, it is also important for governments, regulators and other public institutions to play their parts in understanding the technology and managing its use for its maximum benefit.