Understanding AI Use in Chatbots and Invisible Apps Today
Understanding AI Use in Chatbots and Invisible Apps Today
If you keep up with developments in artificial intelligence (AI), you’ve probably heard of Reply — a product by Google’s experimental lab Area 120. Currently in its beta version, Reply was promoted with the tagline, “You probably get a lot of chat messages. And you want to be there for people, but also for people in the real world. What if replying were literally one tap away?” Reply can apparently work out what people are saying to you, and suggest possible answers that you just have to tap rather than type out entirely. Beyond this, Google aims to enable the system to take your location, calendar, and other information into account. As opposed to being a standalone app, Reply integrates into Gmail, WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Skype and more, taking AI-based replies to the next level.
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This sort of “invisible app” — one that is constantly running in the background, collecting data and bringing important things forward without being housed on your home screen — isn’t a new phenomenon. Many apps today, like Uber and Square, utilize “invisible app” functionality.
Smart replies and booking taxis are just two of the simpler uses for AI-integrated invisible apps. From paying bills to filing your taxes, the unique mix of AI, invisible apps, and chatbots provide a vast array of opportunities. It’s easy to understand why businesses would and should gravitate towards technological advancements — after all, the benefits are many. But why do developments like the invisible app, chatbots, and AI work so well to draw in customers? According to a study presented at the 4th International Conference on Internet Science in November 2017, there are four main reasons people choose to interact with chatbots:
- Productivity: Chatbots are able to provide information efficiently.
- Entertainment: Chatbots often provide funny tips, and help users kill time.
- Social and relational factors: Chatbots are great for enhancing social experiences.
- Curiosity: The novelty of chatbots sparks curiosity.
Today, businesses utilize both simple and smart chatbots to meet demands. Simple chatbots have a set of pre-programmed responses and work based on pre-written keywords they understand. In a previous article, we’ve covered how to set up an easy chatbot for your website that can answer simple questions and direct a customer to a response. Taking things a step further, smart chatbots rely on artificial intelligence when they communicate. Instead of pre-prepared answers, the robots provide various suggestions on the topic, allowing for a more personalized and interactive experience.
Smart chatbots have revolutionized the nature of marketing. Conversational marketing has always yielded positive results, as shown through the rise in “live chat” functionalities of websites and apps. Now, chatbots are able to simulate a live chat experience, without requiring an actual person on the business end of the chat. This widespread application can lower costs while driving sales for a company, and its many benefits explains why the likes of Larry Kim have moved on to start chatbot companies like MobileMonkey. The challenge here is that smart chatbots need to be contextually aware — as contextual awareness is key when you want chatbots to mimic human behavior, giving relevant yet rote responses to questions.
As chatbots and invisible apps become more mainstream, the advancements of AI integrations make way for endless opportunities. Robots might not be taking over quite as yet, but as apps become more invisible and inbuilt, the value and insight they provide will increase exponentially. Ultimately the hope is that these developments will allow businesses and individuals to start living more productively and reach their full potential.