Conversations with Chatbots

Janette Speyer — January 11, 2017 Follow @websuccess

— January 11, 2017

Why would I spend my time talking to a robot?

As a marketer, I am always looking for ways to ease my daily tasks.

In the midst of researching a project, I stumbled on a little Chatbot.

He introduced himself as a friendly marketing bot willing to answer my marketing questions. I promptly installed him on my Slack channel and put him to work.

Before I begin, let me tell you what Chatbots are.

Chatbots are artificial intelligence computer programs used via a mobile device or a desktop computer. They simulate an “intelligent” conversation with a human via text or audio and can change the way you interact with the Internet. You can actually have a conversation or simply organize a series of tasks.

Take Growthbot for example. It is a marketing bot that operates on a Slack channel. It is pre-programmed to answer marketing questions.

Here is an example:

Q: “What is trending on Business2Community.com?”

Here is today’s answer:

• 1) Shark Tank: Naturally Perfect Dolls Accepts $ 200,000 Offer from Daymond John
  by: Erica Abbott on business2community.com (8,301 shares)
  https://app.growthbot.org//l/?code=8309870994066282745
• 2) Meryl Streep Calls Out Donald Trump’s Disrespect And Bullying In Golden Globes Speech
  by: Shawn Rice on business2community.com (1,986 shares)
  https://app.growthbot.org//l/?code=3817119144878067785
• 3) Harsh Realities Await Anyone Entering the Real World of Entrepreneurship
  by: Fabrizio Moreira on business2community.com (1,761 shares)
  https://app.growthbot.org//l/?code=2300415635368608227
• 4) Everything You Should Know about Corporate Social Responsibility
  by: Fabrizio Moreira on business2community.com (1,710 shares)
  https://app.growthbot.org//l/?code=5697666246812187996
• 5) What You Should Know About Shared Office Space
  by: Fabrizio Moreira on business2community.com (1,653 shares)
  https://app.growthbot.org//l/?code=7782161540004311585

Sweet, no? I can see many uses for artificial intelligence in the not too distant future.

At first, I was skeptical about bots. I thought they were a simple annoyance, an excuse to market something I wasn’t interested in. But once I installed a few on my devices, I realized that they offer valuable information that helps my work and research.

Here are a few sample benefits of Chatbots or Talkbots:

• Great Research Tools: The aforementioned Growthbot by Hubspot is a good example of a bot offering useful information for digital marketers like myself.
• A Way to Save Money: Try Earny, he will help you get money back when prices from your purchases drop. Now that’s my kind of Chatbot! All you do is attach the email your receipts are sent to and Earny will search for price drops. Then put in a claim for a refund and they will let you know.
• Increase Your Productivity: Letz makes productivity fun. She will become your friend and help you organize your daily activities. You will meet characters like Lucy that will personalize the organizational experience.
• Great for Customer Support: Aspect is a customer support Chatbot that allows you to ask simple questions like “Where is my order?” or “How much do you charge for shipping?” and you will get an immediate answer. It might not be service questions but it is a step in the right direction.
• Help with Learning a Language: I downloaded Duolingo to learn Portuguese last year for a trip to Brazil. It was fun and easy to learn the basics to get around.

Last but not least, I could not end this article without mentioning Zuckerberg’s friendly housekeeper: Jarvis. In a personal letter to his followers, the Facebook founder describes how he built an app to automate his home. His app can recognize voice, facial expressions, and language. Zuck uses Messenger to communicate his domestic needs to Jarvis like “Dim the lights” or “Turn the lights out.” He is still working on improvements. Hopefully, we will be able to use it soon!

I am sold! As AI technology develops, I can see many applications for automation in the not too distant future. Yet, nothing beats the human touch and face-to-face connections.

How do you feel about Chatbots? Have you tried them? If so, which ones?

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