IBM study highlights rapid uptake and satisfaction with AI chatbots

A study by IBM released this week highlights the rapid uptake of AI chatbots in addition to increasing customer satisfaction.

Most of us are hardwired to hate not speaking directly to a human when we have a problem—following years of irritating voicemail systems. However, perhaps the only thing worse is being on hold for an uncertain amount of time due to overwhelmed call centres.

Chatbots have come a long way and can now quickly handle most queries within minutes....

27 October 2020 | Bots

What happens when Google’s chatty bot chats with a chatbot?

Google Duplex impressed and scared the world in equal parts when it was unveiled, and now we've seen how a conversation goes with another chatbot.

Duplex, for a quick primer, is Google's AI-powered voice bot which can call businesses on a person's behalf for things such as booking hair appointments. It's so realistic that everyone has decided that bots must declare themselves as such before chatting with a human.

A company known as PolyAI – which specialises in...

25 September 2020 | Bots

Researchers create AI bot to protect the identities of BLM protesters

Researchers from Stanford have created an AI-powered bot to automatically cover up the faces of Black Lives Matter protesters in photos.

Everyone should have the right to protest. And, if done legally, to do so without fear of having things like their future job prospects ruined because they've been snapped at a demonstration – from which a select few may have gone on to do criminal acts such as arson and looting.

With images from the protests being widely shared on...

29 July 2020 | Bots

Babylon Health lashes out at doctor who raised AI chatbot safety concerns

babylon health ai doctor safety gp at hand artificial intelligence

Controversial healthcare app maker Babylon Health has criticised the doctor who first raised concerns about the safety of their AI chatbot.

Babylon Health’s chatbot is available in the company’s GP at Hand app, a digital healthcare solution championed by health secretary Matt Hancock that was also integrated into Samsung Health since last year.

The chatbot aims to reduce the burden on GPs and A&E departments by automating the triage process to determine whether...

26 February 2020 | Bots

Google’s Duplex booking AI often relies on humans for backup

Google Duplex often calls on humans for backup when making reservations on behalf of users, and that should be welcomed.

Duplex caused a stir when it debuted at Google’s I/O developer conference last year. The AI was shown calling a hair salon to make a booking and did so complete with human-like “ums” and “ahs”.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qCanuYrR0g

The use of such human mannerisms goes to show Google’s intention was for the human to be unaware...

23 May 2019 | Bots

Microsoft acquires conversational AI company XOXCO

Microsoft has announced the acquisition of Texas-based conversational AI firm XOXCO to amplify the company’s work in the field. XOXCO have been in operation since 2013 and gained renown for creating Howdy, the first commercially available bot for Slack. Microsoft believes that bots will become a key way that businesses engage with employees and customers. The company has undertaken many projects with the aim of unlocking their potential, to various success. Tay, for example, has...

16 November 2018 | Bots

Samsung partners with Babylon Health to offer AI consultations

Samsung has partnered with Babylon Health to offer AI-powered medical consultations to its smartphone users via the ‘GP at Hand’ service. AI News first covered GP at Hand in November last year. “GP at Hand is a window into what the NHS of the future will look like,” said Dr Howard Freeman MBE, senior GP. “When innovative NHS GPs embrace Babylon's technology to make life better for their patients, the sky is the limit.” The service uses AI to determine if a patient’s symptoms...

31 May 2018 | Bots

Bill forcing AI bots to reveal themselves faces EFF opposition

A bill that would force AI bots to reveal themselves as not being human is facing opposition from the EFF over free speech concerns. Many were slightly disturbed by Google’s demo of its Duplex AI conducting a phone call and the other participant being unaware they weren’t speaking to a human. Less than a month later, Microsoft demonstrated it also had the same capabilities. There are clearly big changes ahead in how we interact, and not everyone is going to be happy speaking to a robot...

24 May 2018 | Bots

Watch out Google Duplex, Microsoft also has a chatty AI

Not content with being outdone by Google’s impressive (yet creepy) Duplex demo, Microsoft has shown it also has an AI capable of making human-like phone calls. The company first launched its XiaoIce project back in August 2017. In April, Microsoft said it had achieved full duplexing — the ability to speak and listen at the same time, similar to humans. Microsoft’s announcement was made before Google’s demonstration earlier this month but, unlike Google, the company had nothing to show...

23 May 2018 | Bots

Huawei wants to develop the first digital assistant with emotions

huawei ai digital assistant virtual artificial intelligence

Technology giant Huawei wants to develop the first digital assistant which evokes an emotional bond with the user to offer a more personal experience. "We want to introduce emotional interactions,” said Felix Zhang, VP of Software Engineering at Huawei, in an interview with CNBC. “We believe that in the future all of our end users will want to interact with the system more passionately.” If the movie ‘Her’ comes to mind when hearing about Huawei’s plans, executives said they were...

23 April 2018 | Bots