The smoother and deeper our conversation with Siri, (or with Alexa, Bixby or Cortana for that matter) the more realistic Dan Brown's Winston in Origin becomes. Many experts are predicting that demand for new mobile apps is slowing down with the next trend for user interface being chatbots. Of course, much more work in conversational AI will be necessary before we reach Winston's level of chatbot advancement. At least now, users are becoming more familiar and as a result, these interactions provide a constant source of data for machines to "learn".
Many retail companies are utilising a chatbot platform for various use cases ranging from customer support to recommendations of products and services. According to Oracle, 80% of businesses polled in France, the Netherlands, South Africa, and the UK last year said that they will resort to chatbots by 2020. In fact, one French-based multinational beauty chain already has three chatbots, one to assist in makeover reservation, one to help customers match colour shades, and the other to offer makeup tips and how-to videos.
Sutapa Amornvivat, PhD, is CEO of SCB ABACUS, an AI-powered data analytics subsidiary of Siam Commercial Bank, where she previously headed the Economic Intelligence Centre and the Risk Analytics Division. She received a BA from Harvard and a PhD from MIT. email [email protected].
