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This document is aimed at explaining the following:
1) Difference between bots and chatbots
2) Difference between chatbots and voicebots
3) Difference between all kinds of bots and virtual assistants.
Remember to look into the notes section for more hints.
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Difference between Bots and Virtual assistants
1. Bots & Virtual
assistants
Bots Chatbots Voicebots Virtual
Assistants
Definition
Automated
programs
Smarter
Evolved from
chatbots
Smartest
Synonyms Ro-bots
Text bots
Messenger bots
N/A
Voice assistant
AI assistant
Digital assistant
Technology Scripted AI-infused AI-infused AI-infused
NL Understanding None Moderate Moderate Robust
Learning capabilities None Yes Yes Yes
User interaction
Text or button
presses
Text or button
presses
Voice Voice
When to use
Specific
functions
Specific functions
Specific
functions
Wider functions
Emotional
Intelligence
No Little Little High
Contextual
remembrance
No No No Yes
Editor's Notes
Today I will talk a bit about bots and virtual assistants- primary about the differences between them.
So, when we talk about bots- we most often hear about several related terminologies- bots themselves, chatbots and voicebots. Now, at least from a layman’s perspective, Virtual assistance falls in the same family too. We often use these words so interchangeably that the differences between them are worth remembering.
I present such differences to you in an aggregated hang-on-your-desk sort of view. Let’s go through each of them one by one.
Starting on with the definition first, bots can be defined as automated programs that run over the internet. They usually execute certain commands on receiving specific input from users. For example: you ask a bot How’s the weather and it returns a response back to you.
However, chatbots are much smarter than just an automation script. As an instance: chatbots will be able to return you a valid response if you ask about weather in several ways like How is the weather, How hot is it, What’s the temperature? A chatbot can understand all these variations of the same sentence whereas a typical bot can’t.
Talking of voicebots, they have evolved from chatbots themselves and are as good or bad as them.
Virtual assistants are smartest in this category and in the next few mins. we will understand why are saying this.
Synonyms- Bots have been derived from Robots because it is more about automation than intelligence.
Chatbots are also called Text or messenger bots because that’s the way an end user interacts with them.
I couldn’t find another name for voice bots so I think we are good with that.
Virtual assistants on the other hand have several names too.
Talking of Technology, Bots are stupid scripted creatures which work with only specific user inputs.
Whereas the other three have AI infused in them which is what makes them smarter.
In terms of NL Understanding- bots score a big zero which means that it will respond only if I say How’s the weather and any other related sentences wont make any sense to them.
As far as learning capabilities are concerned, bots have none. For chat and voice bots, it really depends on how they are built. Whereas virtual assistants have integrated Machine Learning algorithms which help them to learn by themselves. Therefore, with time and more usage they get better and better.
User interaction- in bots and chatbots is limited to screen where user presses either text or some button. However the other two are primarily voice based.
For the use case, all kinds of bots are used for a specific purpose which could be answering a question, booking a flight or buying insurance. Virtual assistants are not built to serve a specific function and therefore can be used much more widely.
Because of lack of Emotional Intelligence- none of the bots understan human emotions. They can accomplish the tasks we ask them to do but fall short of understanding our moods and emotions, and therefore don’t know how to reply accordingly. On the other hand, with the use of natural language processing, virtual assistants act much more intelligently in that respect. They interact with users much more human-like responses
Contextual rememberance- The last major difference is about remembering context of conversation. If you break the conversation in between, then the bot will fail to remember the context of the interaction. For example: you ask the bot to play a song and then ask it to repeat. A Bot can’t do that because it no longer remembers actions and conversations of the past. On the other hand, virtual assistants do remember such contexts of atleast the most recent past.
I hope this distinction brought in some clarity in your concepts of these topics.
