Chatbots are the game changers we were all waiting for in human computer interaction

Google I/O 2016 had several demonstration of intelligent conversational digital assistants on Allo . With that, Google has started speaking the same language, and using similar terms to other technology giants. Major developer conferences this year all showcased a coming paradigm shift in human computer interaction. The technologies required for deploying natural language processing, voice input, contextual understanding and artificial intelligence are finally available. Intelligent chatbots were exhibited at Microsoft Build , Facebook F8 and now, Google I/O . Whether you want to book movie tickets, order pizza or buy new shoes, chatbots are here to serve you. Chatbots are the new applications. They can be deployed more cheaply, are easier to maintain, and end users do not even have to install anything on their systems. The processing, as well as the hosting for the service is on the server side. This allows users to access services without having to install an application. Though chatbots use text and audio natural language processing to understand and talk to humans, that does not mean the graphical user interface is dead. This video shows one demonstration from each, as well as the common language being used.

The most critical responses to any chat is inserted into the conversation itself. All the chatboxes demonstrated throw up elements of a conventional GUI within the conversation itself. Whether it is a carousel of possible options, or confirming an order, or reciepts for the purchases, the chatbot throws in the relevant contextual buttons into the conversation itself. Facebook Messenger , Microsoft Cortana and Google Assistant are the three new major conversational platforms that are poised to substantially change the way we interact with machines.