Conversational AI vs Chatbots: What’s the Difference?
In recent years, we’ve seen a lot of talk about Artificial Intelligence (AI), Conversational AI and Chatbots. Yet, although they are all related, they are very different. So what is the difference between them?
Conversational AI
Conversational AI is the type of AI that powers natural language conversations between a customer and any digital interface, using natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning algorithms. It can understand context and respond intelligently, helping to guide users to the right solution fast.
With Conversational AI, human-like conversations are enabled through:
- Natural Language Understanding (NLU): which enables machines to understand human requests and words.
- Natural Language Generation (NLG): which produces a human-like conversational flow to provide understanding and solve problems.
Chatbots
Chatbots are computer programs designed to simulate conversations with human users, usually over the internet. They use written text and/or audio to communicate with the user, and they are usually programmed with rules to determine when and how to respond.
Chatbots can handle basic conversations, as well as more complex conversations that involve multiple stages. They are typically used to automate simple tasks like booking appointments and ordering food.
Key Differences between Conversational AI and Chatbots
- Adaptability: Both Conversational AI and Chatbots are capable of understanding user input, but Conversational AI can better adapt to unfamiliar language, accents, and questions using built-in machine learning capabilities.
- Intelligence: Conversational AI can be trained to understand more complex conversations, while a Chatbot can only understand pre-programmed rules.
- Automation: Chatbots are typically used to automate simple tasks like booking appointments and ordering food, while Conversational AI is designed to provide more conversational and intelligent customer service.
In conclusion, while they are both types of AI, Conversational AI and Chatbots are two very different technologies. Conversational AI is more conversational, and can understand and respond to user input better than a Chatbot. It is also more intelligent, and can be trained to understand more complex conversations. Chatbots are more suitable for handling simple tasks.
