The “chat bots” allow the use of artificial intelligence to create profitable interactions between consumers and businesses on popular mobile messaging.
Using artificial intelligence to create profitable interactions between consumers and businesses on the popular mobile messaging as WeChat or Facebook Messenger: this is what motivates the next invasion announced in the technology sector, that of “bots”. Bots are computer software performing automated tasks, present long in the shadow of the web, whether to scan the pages referenced by the search engines or turn zombie computers in cyber-attacks.
But a particular species is the buzz today: “chat bots” –who could mean “chat robot” – made interactive with a touch of artificial intelligence to simulate a conversation with a human being in a mailbox or –and a social network and sell services, clothing or other air tickets. Messenger, instant messaging 900 million users of Facebook, has large open its doors. They have already invited among rival WeChat, Telegram or more recently Kik. Microsoft also launched the offensive end of March, his boss Satya Nadella even claiming that “the bots are new applications” mobile.
Call-center of the Mobile Era
According to EMarketer Company, more than 1.4 billion consumers used a messaging application last year, 75% of smartphone users worldwide. As many potential customers for companies that interfere or in these conversations. Bots are for them as the call centers of 1960-70: a technology to interact widely with consumers, argues Brian Solis, an analyst with Altimeter.
He also sees a continuation of the trend initiated by applications like Uber, who “conditioned consumers to expect services that come to them” with simplified transactions and hyper-fast on smartphones. The next step is “conversational commerce and concierge services” where everything goes “without leaving their favorite email application.”
Bots represent “a natural extension of existing consumer behavior,” adds Julie Ask, an analyst at Forrester. “Chat with a bot to do something, it’s closer communication” normal human beings “while orchestrating” juggling between several applications.
Future of Hyper-connected Consumer?
Supporter’s bots are also always argued that downloads and uses less mobile application. “More than 80% we spend our time in 5 applications,” notes David Marcus, vice president of messaging with Facebook. It highlights the immediacy, but also the “permanence of identity and context” offered a conversation about messaging. “You do not have to download things, to install, register, create a user name and a password,” he lists. References, orders, tickets and last minute changes, “everything is consolidated into a single conversation.”
Another advantage according to him: “When you are developing a bot Messenger, it works directly on all platforms”, whether iOS (for Apple devices), Android (Google) or a website. In addition, the conversation begun on the phone, can be prosecuted on computer. Bots can also help messaging to monopolize ever time spent on smartphones, today a general concern among technology groups.
“If you look at the type and number of services that Google, Facebook , Apple have made over the last two to three years, they absolutely are trying to dominate the mobile consumer time,” said Julie Law. “I would not say that consumers demand bots”, and many businesses are going to remain “in the testing stage in the next few years,” she warns, however, holding that mass adoption will require more time and not a lot of advances in artificial intelligence.
The “conversations” bots often remain limited today, with many responses formatted and buttons to click, not immune to the excesses, as shown by the experimental bot chat Tay removed from Twitter in disaster by Microsoft because users had her “learned” hateful and racist diatribes. “The chat bots will coexist for now with applications and websites, but they will soon become a popular standard in the most connected consumers,” those who have adopted an active digital lifestyle, predicted for its part Brian Solis.
Aashish Sharma is a Blogger, specializing in Social Media, Latest Technology News, Clean Energy using Solar Energy and Digital Marketing. He is always hunting for new ways for companies to engage with people using innovative technology, insightful data, and intelligent marketing which helps local businesses to a business.