Definition: chatbot

(1) For OpenAI's AI chatbot, see ChatGPT.

(2) (CHAT roBOT) Software that provides a text or verbal interaction with the user in their native language in order to answer questions or generate content (summaries, essays, images, poems, music, etc.). See generative AI.

Also called a "chatterbot" and "virtual consultant," the chatbot is designed to emulate normal human responses. In the past, chatbots were generally limited to a specific topic; however, AI-based chatbots today have become general-purpose systems capable of answering almost any question with high degrees of accuracy.

AI Chatbots
In 2022, OpenAI's ChatGPT caused everyone to pay attention. Since then, chatbots from Google (Gemini), Anthropic (Claude), Meta (Meta AI), Microsoft (Copilot), xAI (Grok) and others have been launched, and the world will never be the same.

At times, chatbots make mistakes, and people should check with at least two chatbots and other sources to get a consensus (see AI hallucination). See ChatGPT, Gemini chatbot, xAI, Inflection AI and Bing AI chatbot.

Chatbots vs. Virtual Assistants
Non-AI chatbots are often embedded within a Web page to assist users with the company's products or services. A chatbot often functions as the first attempt at helping users before they can activate a text chat or phone call with a human rep.

At first, a chatbot about the website's products may seem like a person is communicating. After a little back-and-forth, it is easy to tell there is only a machine at the other end. However, thoughtfully programmed chatbots state up front they are machine dialogues only. Some chatbots state they can link you to a human rep if necessary. See Loebner Prize.

On the other hand, virtual assistants such as Alexa, Siri and Cortana are able to answer questions about myriad topics. The more AI is used to train chatbots, the more the lines between virtual assistants and chatbots are blurring. Whereas a virtual assistant can answer a question about a topic, an AI chatbot can hold a conversation about it, as well as generate what appears to be original prose. See virtual assistant.

To explore the variety of topics in this reference, see What's in this encyclopedia.