What Is A Chatbot?

More about Chatbot:
‍

A chatbot is a sophisticated computer program that functions as a conversational agent, capable of interacting with users to perform various tasks.

Chatbots can also be integrated into social media platforms' messaging features or deployed as standalone bots on a brand's social media page. They are designed to simulate human conversation and can be used for marketing, customer service, and many other applications. For example, Chatimize’s Instagram chatbot is a specialized service designed to create and deploy chatbots specifically for social media marketing.

Fun Fact: According to a study by Tidio, 88% of users engaged in at least one conversation with a chatbot in 2022.

‍
Let's explore how chatbots work -

Chatbots employ Natural Language Processing (NLP) to comprehend and analyze user input, responding with relevant information or actions. They can be broadly categorized into two types: rule-based and self-learning.
‍

• Rule-based Chatbots: These use predefined rules to understand and respond to user input. They are suitable for straightforward tasks with limited variables.
• Self-learning Chatbots: These utilize machine learning algorithms to learn from previous interactions, improving their responses over time. They are more adaptable and can handle complex queries.

‍

Chatbots use various techniques such as intent recognition, named-entity recognition, and sentiment analysis to understand the user's intent and provide appropriate assistance.

‍
Take a look at this example of a support chatbot on a website.

‍

‍
Let's now see the uses of chatbots -

Chatbots can be used in various industries and applications, such as:

• Customer Service: Automating customer communication and providing support.
• E-commerce: Assisting customers with shopping, recommending products, and handling orders.
• Banking: Helping customers with account inquiries, balance checks, and money transfers.
• Healthcare: Providing patients with health information and scheduling appointments.
• Education: Assisting students with coursework information and registration processes.
• Entertainment: Offering personalized recommendations for movies, music, and more.
• Recruitment: Facilitating the recruitment process by providing information about open positions and scheduling interviews.

With advancements in technology, the potential use cases for chatbots are continuously expanding.

‍

Let’s now dive into the types of chatbots:
‍

Chatbots can be classified into several categories based on their functionality:

• Rule-based Chatbots: Operate on predefined rules to understand and respond to user input.
• Self-learning Chatbots: Use machine learning algorithms to learn from interactions.
• Retrieval-based Chatbots: Use pre-defined responses to answer user questions.
• Generative Chatbots: Utilize deep learning algorithms to generate responses.
• Hybrid Chatbots: Combine rule-based and self-learning functionalities.
• Voice Chatbots: Interact with users through voice commands.
• Visual Chatbots: Use visual interfaces like images, videos, or animations to interact with users.

Choosing the right type of chatbot depends on the application and the specific requirements of the task.

‍
Check out this screenshot of a conversation between a user and a chatbot.
‍

‍

Let’s now check out some real-life examples of chatbots:

• E-commerce: Sephora uses a chatbot on Facebook Messenger to help customers find the right beauty products, book in-store appointments, and provide makeup tutorials.
  ‍
• Banking: Bank of America’s chatbot, Erica, assists customers with checking balances, transferring money, and other banking transactions.
  ‍
• Healthcare: Babylon Health offers a chatbot that provides patients with medical advice, symptom checking, and appointment scheduling.

‍