The Uncanny Valley of Chatbots – Daniel Tunkelang – Medium

In 1970, roboticist Masahiro Mori coined the phrase "uncanny valley" (不気味の谷 in the original Japanese) to denote the phenomenon that when a machine seems close-but-not-quite human, it triggers a negative response. We especially see this effect in animated films, such as The Polar Express. While everyone working on human-computer interaction has to watch out for the uncanny valley, chatbots are especially vulnerable to it. Chatbots, by design, strive to be human-like in their interactions. But it's far too easy to mismanage human expectations and deliver a negative experience.