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Conversational user interface
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<h2 id="voice-based-interfaces">Voice-based interfaces</h2> <p>A <a href="/facts/Voice_user_interface/jkdI6nGy">voice user interface</a> allows a user to complete an action by speaking a command. Introduced in October 2011, Apple's <a href="/facts/Siri/wfkBV2dF">Siri</a> was one of the first voice assistants widely adopted. Siri allowed users of iPhone to get information and complete actions on their device simply by asking Siri. In the later years, Siri was integrated with Apple's <a href="/facts/HomePod/ToJVXQMc">HomePod</a> devices. </p><p>Further development has continued since Siri's introduction to include home based devices such as <a href="/facts/Google_Home/SbkhNmoE">Google Home</a> or <a href="/facts/Amazon_Echo/nlMP4CPF">Amazon Echo</a> (powered by Alexa) that allow users to "connect" their homes through a series of <a href="/facts/Smart_device/cnm7E5Vh">smart devices</a> to further the options of tangible actions they can complete. Users can now turn off the lights, set reminders and call their friends all with a verbal queue. </p><p>These conversational interfaces that utilize a voice assistant have become a popular way for businesses to interact with their customers as the interface removes some friction in a <a href="/facts/Customer_journey/WsurycBq">customer journey</a>. Customers no longer need to remember a long list of usernames and passwords to their various accounts; they simply link each account to Google or Amazon once, and gone are the days where you needed to wait on hold for an hour to ask a simple question. </p> <h2 id="text-based-interfaces">Text-based interfaces</h2> <p>A <a href="/facts/Chatbot/kASkMjs7">chatbot</a> is a web- or mobile-based interface that allows the user to ask questions and <a href="/facts/Information_retrieval/MFSmpeNw">retrieve information</a>. This information can be generic in nature such as the Google Assistant chat window that allows for internet searches, or it can be a specific brand or service which allows the user to gain information about the status of their various accounts. Their backend systems work in the same manner as a voice assistant, with the front end utilizing a visual interface to convey information. This visual interface can be beneficial for companies that need to do more complex business transactions with customers, as instructions, deep links and graphics can all be utilized to convey an answer. The complexity to which a chatbot <a href="/facts/Question_answering/1gplmc6L">answers questions</a> depends on the development of the back end. Chatbots with hard-coded answers has a smaller base on information and corresponding skills. Chatbots that leverage machine learning will continue to grow and develop larger content bases for more complex responses.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:9" href="#fn:9"><sup>9</sup></a> </p><p>More frequently, companies are leveraging chatbots as a way to offload simple questions and transactions from human agents.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:10" href="#fn:10"><sup>10</sup></a> These chatbots provide the option to assist a user, but then directly transfer the customer to a live agent within the same chat window if the conversation becomes too complex, this feature is called Human Handover, chatbot platforms like BotPenguin and other platform offers such features in their chatbots.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:11" href="#fn:11"><sup>11</sup></a> Chatbots have evolved and have come a long way since their inception. Modern day chatbots have <a href="/facts/Persona/lMy54oWx">personas</a> which make them sound more human-like. </p> <h2 id="see-also">See also</h2> <ul><li><a href="/facts/User_interface/e9sPEWVD">User interface</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/User_interface_design/bHpLP1ae">User interface design</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Artificial_conversational_entity/kASkMjs7">Artificial conversational entity</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Natural-language_user_interface/TSsXHy2V">Natural-language user interface</a></li> <li><a href="/facts/Voice_user_interface/jkdI6nGy">Voice user interface</a></li></ul> <h2 id="references">References</h2> <ol> <li id="fn:1"><p>"What Are Conversational Interfaces? The Basics". CX Today. 2020-12-11. Retrieved 2021-07-22. <a href="https://www.cxtoday.com/contact-centre/what-are-conversational-interfaces-the-basics/" target="_blank">https://www.cxtoday.com/contact-centre/what-are-conversational-interfaces-the-basics/</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:2"><p>"Conversational Interfaces: Where Are We Today? Where Are We Heading?". Smashing Magazine. 18 July 2016. Retrieved 2018-05-23. <a href="https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2016/07/conversational-interfaces-where-are-we-today-where-are-we-heading/" target="_blank">https://www.smashingmagazine.com/2016/07/conversational-interfaces-where-are-we-today-where-are-we-heading/</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:3"><p>Brownlee, John (2016-04-04). "Conversational Interfaces, Explained". Co.Design. Retrieved 2018-05-23. <a href="https://www.fastcodesign.com/3058546/conversational-interfaces-explained" target="_blank">https://www.fastcodesign.com/3058546/conversational-interfaces-explained</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:4"><p>Brownlee, Jason (2017-09-21). "What Is Natural Language Processing?". Machine Learning Mastery. Retrieved 2021-07-22. <a href="https://machinelearningmastery.com/natural-language-processing/" target="_blank">https://machinelearningmastery.com/natural-language-processing/</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:5"><p>Pan, Jiaqi (2017-08-25). "Conversational Interfaces: The Future of Chatbots – Chatbots Magazine". Chatbots Magazine. Retrieved 2018-05-23. <a href="https://chatbotsmagazine.com/conversational-interfaces-the-future-of-chatbots-18975a91fe5a" target="_blank">https://chatbotsmagazine.com/conversational-interfaces-the-future-of-chatbots-18975a91fe5a</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:6"><p>Lola (2016-10-05). "NLP vs. NLU: What's the Difference? – Lola – Medium". Medium. Retrieved 2018-05-23. <a href="https://medium.com/@lolatravel/nlp-vs-nlu-whats-the-difference-d91c06780992" target="_blank">https://medium.com/@lolatravel/nlp-vs-nlu-whats-the-difference-d91c06780992</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:7"><p>"Integrating The Best Chatbots With Apps & Assistants". Voicify. Retrieved 2021-07-22. <a href="https://voicify.com/chatbots/" target="_blank">https://voicify.com/chatbots/</a> <a href="#fnref:7" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:8"><p>"Conversational User Interfaces: In-depth Guide [2021 update]". research.aimultiple.com. 2018-03-01. Retrieved 2021-07-22. <a href="https://research.aimultiple.com/conversational-ui/" target="_blank">https://research.aimultiple.com/conversational-ui/</a> <a href="#fnref:8" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:9"><p>"The History of Chatbots - from ELIZA to Alexa". 12 October 2017. <a href="https://onlim.com/en/the-history-of-chatbots/" target="_blank">https://onlim.com/en/the-history-of-chatbots/</a> <a href="#fnref:9" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:10"><p>"What is a Chatbot and How Does it Work?". SearchCustomerExperience. Retrieved 2021-07-22. <a href="https://searchcustomerexperience.techtarget.com/definition/chatbot" target="_blank">https://searchcustomerexperience.techtarget.com/definition/chatbot</a> <a href="#fnref:10" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> <li id="fn:11"><p>"BotPenguin". <a href="https://botpenguin.com/features/" target="_blank">https://botpenguin.com/features/</a> <a href="#fnref:11" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li> </ol>