Will 2018 be the year of the chatbot? Not without human help

Chatbots don't have the best reputation. From creating their own secret languages to spouting racist and sexist comments to simply not being very helpful, the emerging technology still has its very public shortcomings. While increasingly being used by businesses for customer service, the technology is still in its rough, early stages, Forrester vice president Julie Ask said. But 2018 could be the year when the technology finally begins to mature. "(Chatbots) certainly have very limited functionality," Ask said, adding that they're a "work in progress." "Most are hard-coded decision trees.