Chatbots should not be Holders of Data or Knowledge 🧠

By thinking of chatbots as just a visual UI choice, it becomes clear that the knowledge, aka the answers, they’re providing needs to come from elsewhere. When thinking of powerful AI, we need to focus on the data collection and the Machine Learning (ML) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) that work to turn that data into what we consider AI.

The more data your chatbot can collect from the user and send to a well-structured database, the more fuel your NLP and ML have to create a genuinely revolutionary AI experience. Not only will your users be pleased but you will have one happy data scientist if your team employs one.

Data and the AI capabilities you use to process it should be your core competency, not a visual UI tool such as a chatbot.

A Data-Centric Approach can keep your Idea from becoming Antiquated 🕰️

If a chatbot is just a visual UI tool in the grand scheme of AI, then we can assume that users’ preferences when it comes to a visual UI are bound to change and often. Think of the recent transition from websites to mobile apps and now chatbots. It’s safe to assume that voice UI is not far behind either with the popularity of voice-fueled AI such the Amazon Alexa or Google Home.

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the last few years, you’ve likely heard of and used the Amazon Alexa voice UI by now.

If you bound your AI capabilities to your chatbot, then you will be at the mercy of future changes in users’ UI preferences. Chatbots are hot at present, and their popularity will only continue to grow over the next several years, but at some point, they will be replaced by a UI that allows for an even more powerful AI experience.

Focus on your data and the ML and NLP that processes it on the back-end, and you will be well-prepared to pivot to the latest and greatest UI that is sweeping the industry storm. Otherwise, your once mind-blowing chatbot idea may become as antiquated as the Polaroid Camera.

If you’re not careful, one day your chatbot could look and feel like this.