A chatbot is software that simulates the conversation of a human being. The interaction between machine and human being through the chatbot occurs through written text or speech. It is a feature that automates repetitive tasks and reduces the need for human involvement in customer service, for example. The word chatbot comes from a combination of chatter and bot (short for robot). There are two types of chatbots: those that are rules-based (simple chatbot) and those based on artificial intelligence (advanced or “smart” chatbot). Simple chatbots are word-based that serve as a parameter with keyword usage and a well-defined navigation flow. In this case, if the message sent by a person does not contain a keyword the system will not be able to respond to the command. A smart chatbot uses Artificial Intelligence to respond to messages from humans. It uses the information supplied by the person at the time of interaction and searches for information available in the system to answer questions. Instead of pre-programmed answers, the system responds in a personalized way, even if the question was not programmed in the system.
The development of chatbots began in the 1960s. Researchers consider Eliza, created by Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) researcher Joseph Weizenbaum, the world’s first chatbot. In those days, building a chatbot was very difficult; now it can be harder or easier, depending on what kind of chatbot you need. But even if you lack significant knowledge about programming, you can create a chatbot using tools like Smarkio, Tidio, or others. Nowadays there are several examples of what can be considered a chatbot; they are used by supermarkets (for example, Lidl has Margot, its Wine Bot) and in online sales, health, media etc. They are also seen in movies and literature; a chatbot, voiced by Scarlett Johansson, starred the 2013 film Her by Spike Jonze.
