What is a chatbot?
A chatbot is a program that simulates a conversation according to a scenario set by a human. This conversation resembles a question-answer kind of dialogue.
Microsoft researcher Jonathan Grudin splits all chatbots into three major categories: task-focused, intelligent assistants and virtual companions.
Capabilities | Used in | Example | |
Task-focused | Limited | Ecommerce, digital marketing | Facebook bot for a pizza company |
Intelligent assistant | Average to impressive | Mobile phones, banking | Siri, Alexa, Google assistant |
Virtual companion | A+ | Psychotherapy, AI research | Cleverbot, ELIZA |
The majority of businesses only ever use task-focused chatbots. They’re not as intelligent as the other two types but their capabilities are enough to do the job. By going through training, they get better.