How Conversational AI is Expanding the Way We Use Chatbots

iQuanti: Today, chatbot technology engages with customers over phone, email and social media. For many companies, it's the first line of interaction they have with someone visiting their website. These programs can be customized to "chat" with a customer or representative to help them find answers quickly, serving up relevant information or resources while providing self-service options and resolving issues.

Some chatbot systems use artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning to improve the way the bot understands and makes decisions. They can learn complex ways of simulating human conversation, such as maintaining context and adjusting responses based on what happens in the conversation. They can also be trained to learn from interactions to continually optimize performance.

As AI evolves and becomes more sophisticated, there is increased opportunity to expand the way companies use chatbot technology. Read on to learn how — and why — conversational AI is expanding what chatbots can do.

What is conversational AI?

Conversational AI uses natural language processing (NLP), automatic speech recognition (ASR), advanced dialog management, and other machine learning to have what can be considered real and actual conversations with consumers.

This technology can change from one topic to another, use learning technology to improve upon and optimize each conversation, and resolve or handle more complex or serious conversations or needs.

Essentially, this AI technology imitates human interactions, recognizes speech and text inputs, and translates their meanings in real time and accurately, much as an actual human conversation would happen.

How is conversational AI different than a traditional chatbot?

A traditional chatbot is limited and only operates on predefined scripts and rules. It cannot respond to anything that wasn't originally planned or inserted into its workflow and operates best in a question/answer approach supporting only specific keywords.

For example, the question "What are your hours?" might use the keyword "hours" to trigger a response of the location's schedule.

This simple input-output application can help remove the burden of answering simple questions or providing basic information to consumers, but it's also less flexible and requires consistent manual intervention to keep the scripts updated.

On the other hand, a conversational AI chatbot not only answers customer queries, but it understands customer needs more deeply and on an evolving basis. The conversational AI takes customer information and feedback and learns in real time and can use those learnings throughout the customer journey.

How conversational AI is effective

Conversational AI is expanding the way companies use chatbots and interact with customers, as well as revolutionizing how customer service and sales representatives do their jobs. This technology can mimic human conversations within the chatbot, making customer inquiries, interactions and even purchases more seamless and effective.

Additionally, conversational AI can access customer data in real time, so it can facilitate the same personalization and meeting of customer needs as talking to a live representative would. The deliverables can be specifically relevant to the customer, providing personalized, convenient experiences and ways to do business.

This also eliminates pain points in the customer journey and helps to move the customer through the sales funnel faster, leading to higher conversion rates and lower rates of customer dissatisfaction.

You can use this technology for online customer support, including answering FAQs, providing personalized advice, cross-selling products or suggesting purchases or sizes. It can be used to help those who use assistive technologies and to optimize employee training and onboarding. Healthcare services can be more accessible, affordable and efficient. Computer software can improve. The power of conversational AI chatbots will only continue to expand as the development of more sophisticated AI programs continues to evolve.

Source: iQuanti, Inc.