Chatbots date back to the 1960s but back then they were rather used for fun. Nowadays chatbots are much more useful, even though they might be a bit hyped. (Carson, 2016)
What is a chatbot acutally? In simple terms it is a software that one can chat with for getting things done or for just being entertained. Instead of opening the weather app to see the temperature, you can ask a bot and it will tell you the weather instead. It can act as a personal assistant doing your shopping, setting up meetings for you or informing you about flights and flight delays.
However, they can change the way we use phones and computers as we do not have to click through an app and use the search function to navigate but could simply ask a question, the app can automatically find our location and answer conversationally. Nowadays chatbots are smart, they can store, synthesize and recall lots of information. They can actually anticipate before you ask and make your life easier. Your chatbot assistant would tell you the weather in Palo Alto in the morning but keeping track of your schedule would advise you to bring an umbrella for your evening event. (Carson, 2016)
Several tech companies test new smart chatbots that serve as personal assistants handling any kind of requests. Cortana acts like a personal assistant integrated in the entire device stitching tasks together and anticipating what you need. Facebook has been developing ‘M’, which is an all in one virtual assistant. The ultimate goal is to turn Messanger in a conversation platform through which you can all kinds of ordering and shopping tasks across providers. When looking for new shoes you do not have to message different store bots but M recommends some to you and helps you with the purchase. At the moment M is still in its infancy and needs humans to answer difficult questions.
Most bots are built as messenger-style bots that have the opportunity to assist or even replace customer service. Amazon Echoˋs Alexa is powerful in the sense that one can build their own sub-bots and integrations to work with Alexa. Thus, this kind of interface has the potential to be the sole interaction point with companies instead of customers talking to companies via apps. At the moment there are still various messenger style bots (such as Facebook) that let build on top of them. Over time the personal assistants will get smarter and disrupt industries and businesses. (Carson, 2016)
Did you know that some chatbots are evolved to the state that they actually as an actual person. A software developer used saved text messages and chats to build a chatbot which is able to communicate in natural language. It basically is like talking to a friend. She even took it further and programmed the chatbot to generate new content which the person never said using the vocabulary and tone of voice. It is a digital avatar that connects to family and friends and can act as oneself by generating new content which you actually never said but the chatbot uses your vocabulary and tone of voice. This way the chatbot is intended to capture your personality. (YouTube, 2016)
Microsofts Xiaoice, a chatbot of an AI project, is able to remember parts of conversations and asks you about your feelings about a situation. Xiaoice cheers millions of teenagers who text with it every day for hours up. Hundreds of Chinese people are even telling the bot that they love it. (YouTube, 2017)
One can argue that chatbots are useful for companies when it comes to answering questions and performing customer support, thus making businesses more efficient. More evolved personal assistants have the potential to disrupt the way people interact with their digital devices and with companies. However, isn’t it sad how bots and AI threaten to replace human relationships and interaction and even imitate or steal an individual’s personality? What is your opinion on the topic – do you think the advantages and benefits outweigh the pitfalls?
References
Carson, B. (2016). CHATBOTS EXPLAINED: Why the world’s most powerful tech companies think they’re the biggest thing since the iPhone. [online] Business Insider. Available at: http://www.businessinsider.com/what-are-chatbots-and-who-is-building-them-2016-4?international=true&r=US&IR=T [Accessed 8 Oct. 2017].
YouTube. (2016). My Dead Best Friend Is Now a Chatbot. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGcKu3SYx9A [Accessed 8 Oct. 2017].
YouTube. (2017). XiaoIce AI: millions fall in love with Microsoft chatbot in China – TomoNews. [online] Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1cGOJ_Fcg7E [Accessed 8 Oct. 2017].
I am not sure how I feel about this. On the one hand, I can see this as potentially a powerful tool to help those grieving the loss of a loved one, by allowing them the opportunity to continue “talking” to that loved one. On the other hand, I can see this also being very problematic, because I imaging that, for some, this technology could become addicting, and may prevent people from a more natural and organic “moving on” process after losing a loved one. Fascinating subject!
Personally I agree with you. In my opinion a virtual friend, if you can even call it a friend, does not replace real human relationships and interactions. I’d be afraid that a person who spends too much time talkling to a chatbot-friend ends up neglecting social interaction in real life which can be a vicious circle leading to even more replacement with virtual bots.
Hi Lindsay and Isabel,
Addiction to communicating with the chatbot is a real concern and I see what you mean here.
However, this chatbot which acts like the deceased might be part of the solution and be the ‘smaller evil’ at times. If, for instance, the grieving family member, partner, friend, etc. has suicidal thoughts or becomes permanently depressed, I would take the risk of them becoming obsessed with the chatbot. After all, every person has a different grieving process and the chatbot might be the best solution to some. Also, what I would do if this chatbot becomes a popular method for dealing with death is to combine the service with human-specialist assistance. This way a therapist or psychologist can authorize the use of the chatbot depending on the case, they will be able to evaluate whether a person is stable enough and aware of the reality.
Interesting point you are raising. Every person is different and handles grief in a differnt way. This is why having a a chatbot as part of therapy could be a good complement to traditional therapy or grief assistance. Like Lindsay pointed out in her comment about Woebot, as long as it is professionally programmed and controlled it can be very effective for some people. And the power of data analytics it can perform should not be underestimated.
Concerning your comment about Woebot to assist with cognitive behavior therapy: I think it is a very interesting concept. As long as the chatbot is controlled by a real certified psychologist and combined with a treatment I can definitly imagine it working. Especially for people who need supplemental assistance in everyday life alongside a therapy or who cannot afford additional regular therapy sessions, a chatbot therapist might be beneficial. Once again, I cannot completely replace human therapists and psychologists but can complement it.
Hi Isabel,
thank you for your interesting post. The first time I came in contact with the idea of artificial intelligence and personal assistants was when I saw the movie Her (2013). The movie depicted a guy who fell in love with his digital personal assistant. It was a fascinating movie, because the lead actor actually fell in love with his personal assistant and was very happy about it. I believe that having a personal assistant who knows all your personal preferences can be very useful for some people. Not only for people who are dealing with grief or for businesses to operate faster, like in your blog, but also for people who do not want or dare to engage in a complex emotional and physical relationship with another person. For them, this smart personal assistant is approachable and easy-going.
I agree with the comment that Iva posted. Obsession is never healthy and people should be careful about becoming addicted with their chatbot. However, I do plead for the further development of artificial intelligence in this matter, the benefits simply outweigh the pitfalls!
Thank you for the comment. I watched this movie as well and recommend it very much.
I was wondering if cultural differences or just personal preferences might account for different views on AI assistance in private live.
I am a big fan of AI and robotic process automation in the business context since I see the opportunities arising from it. To some degree I would also adopt an intelligent assistant. But being rather an offline person and valuing personal relationships, I am a bit sceptical whether this not leads to much intrusion in personal sphere if you take it too far and use it in any situation.