Chatbots
Chatbots are applications that communicate in human languages. These applications vary from simple hardcoded textual responses to voice activated, neural network systems that dynamically respond to a situation and learn from the speakers (think Alexa).
Common Applications
Chatbots are very common nowadays. From customer support systems, to front end recommender systems, websites and more, chatbots are also one technology that has found a use case in nearly every industry. Some of the most common industries that use chatbots include:
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Retail
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Banking
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Customer Service
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Travel
A Brief History
The Turing Test, presented in 1950, claimed that a machine would have intelligent behavior if, when asked a series of questions, it could respond like a human would. This amounts to a chatbot. In the 1960’s, a chatbot called ELIZA seemed to meet this standard; although no one doubted that it was not conscious. Since then, we all can imagine the various chatbots that have found their way into our daily lives, from automated customer service systems, to simple self service phone agents, to Alexa, or even games.