The Difference Between Traditional Chatbots and Conversational AI

When people think of conversational AI, their first thought is often the chatbots that one encounters on many enterprise websites. While they would not be wrong, as that is one example of conversational AI, there are many other examples that are illustrative of the functionality and capabilities of AI technology. In this article we will discuss the history and use of conversational AI, as well as the ways conversational AI is being used outside of the typical chatbot. Chatbots made their debut in 1966 when a computer scientist at MIT, Joseph Weizenbaum, created Eliza, a chatbot that was based on a limited, predetermined flow. Eliza could simulate a psychotherapist's conversation through the use of a script, pattern matching, and substitution methodology.