Conversational AI or Conversational Artificial Intelligence is a variant of Artificial Intelligence that helps users to interact with computer-based applications as they would with a real-world human. In other words, it is communication between a machine and a human yet it becomes so real that you wouldn’t know it is an AI instrument.
Rise of Conversational AI
Conversational AI was first predicted as an achievable technology by Alan Turing in the early 1950s. The first-ever effort in this regard was ‘Eliza’ which emulates a Rogerian psychotherapist. Eliza was a simple computer program which is also called a “chatbot” that uses natural language processing to make simple human-like conversations with the user.
In later stages, Natural language processing (NLP) combined with Machine learning (ML) could bring Conversational AI to an advanced and more realistic level. The NLP is to analyze and interprets human input for meaning and the Machine learning learns new information for future processing. These tasks are simultaneous and support the artificial instrument to provide output with more real-world feedback. Below are some of the applications of Conversational AI you might have been using without even knowing! The products are from top-notch companies in the world and they thrive to make their product even better as we speak.
Real-world applications of Conversational AIs
- Siri
- Alexa
- Google’s Assistant
- Windows Cortana
- Huawei Assistant
What features Conversational AI brings us?
- Natural Language Processing
- Machine Learning
- Voice Responses
- Text-to-Speech ability
- Intent Recognition
- Contextual awareness
Building blocks of Conventional AI models
Natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning (ML) techniques are frequently combined to create conversational AI with more traditional, static kinds of interactive technology, such as chatbots.
Through interactions that resemble human communication, this combo responds to users.
Static chatbots simply offer the user a set of pre-set responses and are rule-based. In contrast, a conversational AI model employs ML to learn new facts for further encounters and NLP to analyze and understand the meaning of human speech. NLP transforms a sizable amount of unstructured human language input into a structured data format so that computers may comprehend it and use it to decide what to do and what to say.
Why use Conversational AI?
The most widely used Artificial Intelligence technology is quickly becoming conversational AI. Every day, more and more companies use it to better manage their teams or serve their clients while remaining competitive. In the present-day different businesses emerge and their business process gets complicated day by day. Keeping customers in touch 24/7 is a vital factor in modern business. They have to be answered and supported in order to keep them with a particular service provider. Lacking these hi-tech mechanisms will eventually be a drawback to attract potential customers. Nowadays, most businesses offer lodging complaints via a chatbot feature. A chatbot can take in customer information and issue him a service ticket number along with other numbers. Besides all, customers like to engage with someone rather than receive static information on a webpage. So to cover 24 hours around a clock chatbot is the wisest to implement it.
Another advantage of conventional AI is that it can work without increasing workforce numbers; conversational AI bots can quickly and efficiently manage a high volume of consumer inquiries.
This is especially helpful if you anticipate or unexpectedly experience a sharp increase in user inquiries.
If you're only reliant on a tiny group of human agents, a rise like this is a hint of disaster. Even if your footfall develops into a stampede, you can rest easy with a bot that can manage large scale. It is said that Dream11's crew of just 30 employees managed a significant surge of over 1 million requests during the IPL 2018. Customer services, appointment scheduling, diagnosing medical problems, and creating accounts are to name a few things we use conventional AI at the industry level.
Not limited to businesses, conversational AI is already in use in Japan aiding the control of covid-19 spread. They are used within the community to make people aware and to provide relevant advice for prevention. Covid-19 has given the Japanese AI industry a lot of technology options for automation, social isolation, and remote access. The use of e-payment and video analytics services including conversational AI has risen to support social distancing requirements.
Can Conversational AI act alone?
Conversational AIs will prevail, but they will need the smart minds behind them and the implementers to decide when and where to implement them in real-life situations.
Future of Conversational Ai
Conversational AI is undoubtedly passing the days of basic question-and-answer experiences and simple decision trees. But yes, a lot to improve in its kind. Some organizations still complain about their chatbots routing customers to the wrong channels and not keeping them satisfied at the end of the game. Some surveys have revealed that there are customers that don’t go with chatbots; they simply think it’s a waste of time. All this is not to say chatbots are useless, they have a lot of room for improvement and provide life-like experiences to customers. The major concerns of the users of these chatbots are hence being very intelligent they require a significant amount of sensitive data to operate. The same data is vulnerable to breaches.
On the other hand, some people are reluctant to try modern ways and they simply like to stick with old-fashioned ways of getting things done. So even though the chatbot is there to help you 24/7 you won’t get much out of it. So have faith and give it a try.