You have undoubtedly heard about Conversational Artificial Intelligence. You have even probably engaged with it. We’ve all used the voice command on our phone to get directions to a restaurant, and many of us have a “speech-based assistant” in our home that can turn on the lights, set an alarm, and even play music.
What is Conversational AI?
Conversational AI refers to the use of messaging apps, speech-based assistants, and chatbots to automate communication and create personalized customer experiences at scale.
Conversational AI (in the form of Chatbots and platforms such as WhatsApp and WeChat) uses natural language and, in short, is changing every aspect of when, where, and how our clients engage and communicate with their customers.
Conversational AI applications make it possible for our B2C clients to have long-running interactions with customers via voice or text. Sometimes these conversations are simply short and sweet requests for information (like hours of operation or an address). Other times, they are more in-depth, true dialogues between a brand and a customer, and have quickly become an essential tool to elevate customer service and customer engagement.
Here are some stats that put it all in perspective:
- By 2020, 85 percent of customer interactions will be handled without a human.
- 30 percent of companies worldwide will be using AI in at least one of their sales processes by 2020.
- Forrester predictsthat by 2020, businesses with data-insights-driven teams will grab $1.2 trillion from peers without that culture.
- 97 percent of mobile users are using AI-powered voice assistants
If you would like to learn more about Conversational AI from one of the country’s leading experts on the subject, listen in on my interview with Jeff Rohrs, chief marketing officer for Yext, on the Integrate & Ignite podcast. Jeff shares his insights on the topic, including:
- Ways companies can take control over the digital knowledge about their locations, their people, and their services.
- About the strategy behind branded and discovery search terms.
- Ways brands can prepare themselves for the voice-driven and AI-driven future.
- How Conversational and Text AI is revolutionizing customer service and making it far more human.
And, if you’d like a listing of the Best Chatbots of 2019, take a look at this post from Consumers Advocate.
