How our chatbot provides accurate information about the coronavirus while fighting the digital gap
In this coronavirus crisis, misinformation is the second pandemic that needs to be fought. Over the last years, the rise of social media has almost replaced the traditional medias’ role to inform people, especially amongst younger generations. As a result, unverified information and hazy theories scatter all over the world.
According to the World Economic Forum, chatbots are a good solution to tackle the spread of fake news on the internet. As one of their articles points out: “The intuitive interface of chatbots presents a low-friction approach to disseminate critical information to vast populations.” Moreover, chatbots offer an interactive way to learn as they can adapt their answer to the person chatting to them. To fully take advantage of those assets, our startup aimed for a gamified approach for its chatbot. Indeed, Concorona’s users can learn about the coronavirus through our themed quizzes. Daily health checkups are also available to track their symptoms. By completing the quizzes and checkups, users earn points that can be redeemed for discounts at partner businesses. The rewards incentivize them to continue using the chatbot to get new up to date information and make sure they are healthy. In turn, by getting people to check their symptoms on a daily basis, we get a better understanding of the virus without needing to do physical checkups.
However, if chatbots seem to offer a lot of advantages, challenges remain to make sure that correct information is given to a broad audience. Here are two ways through which our Concorona chatbot overcomes those issues.
Fight the digital gap
Using a chatbot implies having access to the internet. In sub-Saharan Africa, data cost nearly 40% of the average monthly wage. In those countries, internet connections and airtime is more than a luxury. However, in today’s world, access to the internet becomes more and more important. According to the International Telecommunication Union, “2019 marks the first full year when more than half of the world has begun to participate online in the global digital economy.”
To overcome this digital divide, our startup has partnered with Moya. Moya is a data-free messenger app that allows its users to send messages without spending any airtime. Thanks to this partnership, our chatbot is now available to everyone through their smartphone.
Provide verified information
Ever since the epidemy started in China, the virus has evolved. New symptoms have appeared, and policies constantly change to adapt as we learn more about the virus. Given the global mask shortage, some governments first advised leaving those protections to the medical workers to ensure their safety. The policies have then changed and, in some countries, it is now mandatory for people to wear a mask every time they go out.
It is essential for chatbots to give accurate information regarding those developments. To create our chatbot, our two researchers sourced the necessary information from reputable sources (available on the chatbot) and further verified it with health professionals. We now also make sure to update our chatbot’s answers according to the latest verified news. This way, we hope to spread correct information to as many people as possible.
To try our chatbot, please visit our website or directly connect to the Facebook Messenger app and look for Concorona.
