Chatbots have been one of the best applications of artificial intelligence so far, acting as a gamechanger for customer service on websites. With AI on hand to answer questions and assist at any time, it means that people can find what they need and have a greater chance of completing a purchase.
Although chatbots are amazing, they could just be a stepping stone to something even better. Indeed, with AI progressing rapidly, they could soon become virtual companions that help people in more engaging ways.
AI chatbots are taking the online world by storm
Chatbots existed long before AI entered the mainstream, but the new technology has enhanced their abilities tenfold. In the early days, these pop-up windows on websites could only handle a few simple requests and would easily get confused. Now, they can provide detailed answers and have meaningful conversations with people.
The popularity of AI chatbots in business has been astonishing. The latest research shows that 78 per cent of companies have already implemented conversational AI. Those who haven’t adapted to this new paradigm are at risk of being left behind, as customer service is one of the most important parts of any business.
In the same way that real-world businesses had to adapt when the internet was invented and develop their own websites, today’s companies have had to embrace chatbots in the same way. It will soon be the norm for customers to encounter customer service bots on every page they visit. And if they don’t find one to help them, they may be tempted to visit a rival company.
Virtual companions could lead to greater connection
One of the primary aims of online companies is to forge a greater connection with customers and make them feel recognised. One of the greatest developments in this regard has been live streaming, which allows viewers to get involved with the content and communicate with the creator. Many ecommerce companies now use this to help people discover products and purchase them directly from the stream.
Some of the top online casino UK pages also have live streaming in place, giving players the chance to feel closer to table games like Mega Fire Blaze Roulette Live and the hosts that run them. This provides a sense of connection and familiarity that can encourage players to keep using the same site.
Chatbots don’t quite offer these levels of connection yet, as customers are well aware that they are simply typing prompts for an AI agent. However, if these are upgraded to virtual assistants that pop up on websites and help show individual customers around, it could be a great way to engage customers and form a stronger bond with them.
There are already various AI companion apps, such as Grok’s characters that people can chat with. In Japan, apps like Replika and Gatebox have shown how easy it is for people to form genuine bonds with virtual entities as well, and the technology is becoming increasingly more accessible for businesses to build their own. The next step is to integrate these on websites and replace the existing chatbots with them.
Businesses that jump on the AI companion trend and implement them first could get a headstart on the competition. This is the next logical step after chatbots, and a craze that could easily take off in the next few years.
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