Chatbot vs conversational AI:

what is the difference? 

If you’ve ever wondered who would win in a chatbot vs. conversational AI battle and want to know the answer, this article will give it to you.

“What is the difference between a chatbot and conversational Artificial Intelligence (conversational AI)?”, this question causes a lot of confusion because both terms are often used interchangeably, although this should not be the case. Here’s what they are and why it’s important to know the difference.

First round of chatbot vs. conversational AI: are they the same?

You are not alone in asking yourself this question. Our goal is to clear up the confusion surrounding these two terms. Yet, in most cases, people talk about two very different technologies.

The truth is that they are very different: In the field of chatbots, experts differentiate between rule-based chatbots and AI-based chatbots. Rule-based chatbots, also known as click bots, are the most basic type of chatbot. They operate based on preset rules.

So, instead of a regular conversation, the bot usually offers customers a selection of predefined answers and then guides the user through a decision tree menu, until the bot gets to know what the customer wants. And, what is always recommended, is to set up an alternative protocol where the user can talk to a human (no one likes to be forced to talk to a “machine”).

While rule-based bots can be useful for answering basic questions or gathering initial information from a customer, they are also very limited. They can’t interact with customers in a real conversational way, and that’s where conversational AI comes in.

Conversational AI, on the other hand, refers to communication technology such as chatbots and virtual assistants. These are characterized by using Natural Language Processing (NLP), machine learning and conversational design to mimic human interactions and create a more natural flow of conversation.

Related article: How can you get started with your conversational AI chatbot?

Second round of chatbot vs. conversational AI: what are their characteristics?

Conversational AI and chatbots focus on different traits. Here are the main ones you should know:

Key features of conversational AI 

• Sistemas de capacitación: Training systems: supervised and semi-supervised learning solutions allow customer service agents to review NPL results and provide feedback.

• User-friendly interfaces: AI uses a modern graphical interface, so people do not have to know how to code to understand or update the system.

• Automated testing: help ensure that business objectives are met.
• Multilingual compatibility: conversational AI systems can operate simultaneously in different languages while sharing the same general logic and integrations.

Key features of chatbots 

• Keyword focus: Most chatbots are not programmed to understand sentences. In this case, the goal is to set up keywords that they can identify in order to provide an appropriate response.

• Fast implementation times: chatbots are easy to implement within the system, which is useful if you need to implement something quickly.

• Conversations: Most of these chatbots are capable of handling 100 to 200 customer conversations without any problems.

Third round of chatbot vs. conversational AI: should you even use AI?

Is conversational AI more advanced than chatbots? Yes! Does that mean it’s the best option for your business?…. No, not always.

The decision to choose between a conversational bot or a conversational AI platform depends on the nature of your business.  Although conversational AI is more intelligent (hence the name), it is still a field that needs a lot of research and advancement. It is a technology with a lot of room for improvement, and not all companies need to apply the advantages offered by an AI chatbot.

Many companies are investing in conversational AI because of its potential ability to create seamless, personalized conversations with customers. Once it is configured and knowledgeable enough, it is capable of fully simulating the responses that a human agent would give. However, it is important to keep in mind that it is still a developing technology and the AI chatbot needs time to learn and adjust parameters.

When a chatbot requires a learning period, if there is a group of people who want to play with this chatbot, it is possible that the result will be very different from what was expected at the time of its creation.

Even some of the largest companies have failed in their attempts to create a functional AI chatbot. If you search, the list is endless. But just to name one, Microsoft failed with its “TayTweets,” which began learning and processing hate speech written to it by users. It was designed to mimic the personality of a teenager… and to say it was a fiasco is putting it simply.

If this is the case, or any other delicate circumstance, we stress the importance of always having an audience wildcard that includes human intervention.

Chatbots without the implementation of artificial intelligence can give personalized conversations, but in a much lower range. These types of chatbots are able to take care of repetitive queries and collect data automatically.

However, with the help of a solution provider (such as WOZTELL), it is possible to build a much more complex chatbot that does not require artificial intelligence: have you thought about how interesting it would be to have a chatbot with a game that encourages interaction with your business? Or, an automatic reservation system.

These are real possibilities and available to any type of company.

At this point in the chatbot vs. conversational AI battle, here’s our advice: unless your company has a lot of data, chatbot is a better option than conversational AI. At the end of the day, your goal is to have conversations with your customers that improve your results, and in the process, improve customer service and satisfaction as well.

To sum up

Whether you choose conversational AI or chatbot, at WOZTELL we offer all kinds of suggestions and solutions for your company. With our service you can create conversational AI bots and also create chatbots based on rules and without the need to know programming.

Do you dare to have the help of a 24/7 assistant to help you reduce your workload?