What is a Chatbot and what is it for?
Posted: Sun Jan 26, 2025 4:56 am
A chatbot is a program capable of simulating a conversation with a user in a natural way through an online chat system on a website . It is used on websites and applications as a customer service tool.
For a customer visiting an online store or service, a chatbot can make their experience much easier. Instead of spending their time searching through the website until they find what they need, they have the option of simply asking the chatbot. The chatbot will be able to resolve a wide variety of queries; in fact, you can integrate different chatbots into the same conversation.
Chatbots have one thing that makes them very convenient: the user does not need to install or download them. They are integrated into your website . This means that they do not represent any waiting time for the user.
The chatbot is one of the best examples of communication between an artificial intelligence and a person. However, the technology behind the chatbot is a simple evolution of Natural Language Processing (NPL). That is, it is a system of predetermined vp design officers email list answers to questions asked by users.
Types of Chatbots
Although chatbots are a new technology, there is a variety of ways in which they work. These are not fixed categories, but they can help you understand what to expect from a chatbot on your website.
Predefined or quick response chatbots . This is the simplest type of chatbot of all. They are based on a decision tree with a hierarchy. They present a series of predefined questions and answers that lead the bot along the tree until it reaches the response desired by the user. Here the chatbot does not process the users' written messages, but rather presents them with several options that they can select as a response.
Keyword recognition chatbots. These chatbots analyze messages written by users and look for keywords that allow them to respond with relevant information. These chatbots are a little more complex: they rely on artificial intelligence and a configurable list of keywords to work effectively. However, they often present problems when the user repeats keywords or asks redundant questions.
Hybrid chatbots. This chatbot combines the capabilities of a predefined chatbot and a keyword recognition chatbot. The chatbot will try to give a good answer based on the keywords it finds in the user's message. If this does not give good results, the user will be able to access a menu with predetermined answers.
Contextual chatbots . These chatbots are much more sophisticated than the previous ones. They usually use machine learning to remember their interactions with users, learn from them and continuously improve themselves. They do not need to rely on keywords: they use their learning about what and how users ask questions to give relevant answers.
Voice Chatbots. Here we find some of the most well-known Chatbots in the world: Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant. These Chatbots are capable of converting audio input from users into text to be analyzed by one or more of the technologies I have mentioned. These Chatbots are likely to prove to be increasingly important in the future.
For a customer visiting an online store or service, a chatbot can make their experience much easier. Instead of spending their time searching through the website until they find what they need, they have the option of simply asking the chatbot. The chatbot will be able to resolve a wide variety of queries; in fact, you can integrate different chatbots into the same conversation.
Chatbots have one thing that makes them very convenient: the user does not need to install or download them. They are integrated into your website . This means that they do not represent any waiting time for the user.
The chatbot is one of the best examples of communication between an artificial intelligence and a person. However, the technology behind the chatbot is a simple evolution of Natural Language Processing (NPL). That is, it is a system of predetermined vp design officers email list answers to questions asked by users.
Types of Chatbots
Although chatbots are a new technology, there is a variety of ways in which they work. These are not fixed categories, but they can help you understand what to expect from a chatbot on your website.
Predefined or quick response chatbots . This is the simplest type of chatbot of all. They are based on a decision tree with a hierarchy. They present a series of predefined questions and answers that lead the bot along the tree until it reaches the response desired by the user. Here the chatbot does not process the users' written messages, but rather presents them with several options that they can select as a response.
Keyword recognition chatbots. These chatbots analyze messages written by users and look for keywords that allow them to respond with relevant information. These chatbots are a little more complex: they rely on artificial intelligence and a configurable list of keywords to work effectively. However, they often present problems when the user repeats keywords or asks redundant questions.
Hybrid chatbots. This chatbot combines the capabilities of a predefined chatbot and a keyword recognition chatbot. The chatbot will try to give a good answer based on the keywords it finds in the user's message. If this does not give good results, the user will be able to access a menu with predetermined answers.
Contextual chatbots . These chatbots are much more sophisticated than the previous ones. They usually use machine learning to remember their interactions with users, learn from them and continuously improve themselves. They do not need to rely on keywords: they use their learning about what and how users ask questions to give relevant answers.
Voice Chatbots. Here we find some of the most well-known Chatbots in the world: Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant. These Chatbots are capable of converting audio input from users into text to be analyzed by one or more of the technologies I have mentioned. These Chatbots are likely to prove to be increasingly important in the future.