In The Foreseeable Future, Will AI Chatbots Replace Human Interaction?
“Gosh, they haven’t even started using AI chatbots!”
This is how I felt when I first used M&M’s website. It is hard to believe that M&M’s, one of the world’s most well-known chocolate brands, cannot provide real-time online services after the customer service staff are off work.
AI chatbots are used more and more widely and as AI and machine learning technologies become more mature, it can provide customers with a better experience. For M&M’s, not following this trend is indeed an unwise choice.
What Is An AI Chatbot?
AI chatbots are a type of chatbots. They are the cutting-edge applications of artificial intelligence and machine learning, and they are also the applications closest to ordinary people’s lives.
Like other chatbots, the basic function of AI chatbots is to imitate the mode of customer service personnel talking to customers, solving their problems or interacting with them. Furthermore, what distinguishes AI chatbots from other chatbots is that they can continuously learn and update themselves. So they are more flexible and look more “smart”.
Next, I will introduce you the applications and advantages of AI chatbots by using a infographic:
Due to the excellent and unique features, AI chatbots have gained an appreciation from many brands. They often become the first communication point between consumers and brands, and in many cases, consumers can solve their problems at this point without going to the second communication point, the customer support team, to seek help.
However, does this mean that in the foreseeable future, AI chatbots will replace human interaction?
For a long time, AI chatbots and customer support teams will coexist.
According to a survey, only 34% of respondents said they are willing to use chatbots in online retail situations. Most customers do not want to use chatbots.
From the results of this survey, it can be seen that the widespread use of AI chatbots does not mean that AI chatbots can bring a good user experience to customers. So far, most companies’ application of AI chatbots is still relatively rudimentary, unable to cope with complex problems or needs.
In my opinion, people tend to communicate directly with human agents rather than AI chatbots for the following two reasons:
First of all, the needs of customers are complex and changeable. AI chatbots are unable to respond to these needs merely relying on programs and their own learning capabilities. I want to use an infographic to explain why it is difficult for AI chatbots to replace human interaction functionally:
Moreover, from an ethical and emotional point of view, people are wary and fearful of AIs that are too human. I don’t think AI chatbots could be allowed to fully occupy the customer service field. Let’s imagine. If one day AI chatbots completely replace human interaction, it means that AI already has human thoughts and emotions. In other words, AI has a personality. At that time, how should we treat these personalized AI chatbots? Are they people or bots? This is a terrible and unsolvable problem. So I think the development of AI and machine learning will be carried out under certain restrictions, and AI chatbots that completely replace human agents will not appear.
Conclusion
To sum up, although AI chatbots have many advantages, they cannot replace human interaction with the current level of technological development. in the foreseeable future, The relationship between human agents and AI chatbots is coexistence and complementarity.
But in the distant future, perhaps hundreds of years later, AI chatbots may completely replace humans. This may not be a good thing, but a disaster.
