Chatbots Reborn - A Renaissance for the Humble Bot

Chatbots for a long time have existed to amuse, frustrate and at times entertain (albeit unintentionally). The term "ChatterBot" was originally coined by Michael Mauldin (creator of the first Verbot, Julia) in 1994 to describe conversational programs (thanks Wikipedia). From the lofty origins of Verbot, the humble chatbot has become a bit of a loner, the last bastion of customer support. This, of course, is a real shame and a glaring missed opportunity for companies who are looking to engage effectively with customers to provide some level of assistance for simple questions and tasks. With the technology in place to support chatbots (AI, machine learning and automation), evolving at a frenetic pace, the chatbot is rising from the ashes with a newly defined purpose.