{"id":17317,"date":"2022-12-05T21:46:06","date_gmt":"2022-12-05T20:46:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tolk.ai\/blog-ia\/non-classe\/what-is-a-chatbot"},"modified":"2026-06-26T17:30:51","modified_gmt":"2026-06-26T15:30:51","slug":"what-is-a-chatbot","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tolk.ai\/en\/blog-ia\/fundamentals\/what-is-a-chatbot","title":{"rendered":"What is a chatbot?"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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The rise of digital technology has driven the growth of chatbots.
They have become indispensable for businesses seeking to improve the user experience.
But what exactly is a chatbot?
How does it work and why is it so important?
Let us explore this together!<\/p>\n

<\/h2>\n

What is a chatbot and how does it work?<\/h2>\n

Simply put: a chatbot<\/strong> is a computer program that simulates a conversation with a human being. They are generally used to help you answer questions or carry out tasks.<\/p>\n

We have all encountered a chatbot<\/strong> at least once, and it is even possible they have frustrated you, but we will see that these automated conversation bots can be very effective when intelligently built!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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How can they be used?<\/h3>\n

Chatbots<\/strong> can be used in a variety of applications, including social networks, websites, and mobile applications. Some chatbots are designed to help people make purchases, while others are intended to provide information on a particular subject.<\/p>\n

The icing on the cake: chatbots<\/strong> can even be used as a marketing tool<\/strong>, providing special offers and coupons to their users.<\/p>\n

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As you can see, you are only limited by your imagination.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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What are they capable of?<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n

Chatbots communicate with multiple users simultaneously.
They provide automatic responses according to various criteria. They are used in customer support, sales, and marketing. Some bots assist with decision-making by offering personalised recommendations.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

For example, Agorastore<\/a>, an online auction site, has implemented a chatbot<\/strong> that allows its users to get help in just a few clicks, whether to bid on the site or estimate shipping costs after a sale. This is a great example of a successful<\/strong> chatbot<\/strong>!<\/p>\n

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Learn more about Agorastore’s experience with the chatbot.<\/a><\/p>\n

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Where does this interest in chatbots come from and how will they evolve?<\/h3>\n

As a bit of background: chatbots use the “chatterbot” technique. This method was popularised by the ELIZA program in the 1960s, by Joseph Weizenbaum.<\/p>\n

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Chatbots<\/strong> were initially popularised by the instant messaging platforms we all know, such as Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp. These platforms allowed developers to create chatbots<\/strong> that can interact with users<\/strong> on those platforms.<\/p>\n

The tolk.ai<\/a> ecosystem can be used for an infinite number of use cases, across a multitude of channels to meet this need.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

With AI and virtual assistants, interest in chatbots has grown significantly.
Google Home and Amazon Echo use chatbots to interact with users and provide services. According to some estimates, the chatbot market will reach 8 billion dollars by 2025. It is therefore becoming crucial to choose a chatbot capable of communicating with customers in a human-like way.<\/p>\n

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It would be a shame to miss out! In the years ahead, it is therefore essential for your business to deploy a chatbot, but not just any chatbot: you need a chatbot<\/strong> that speaks to humans like a human.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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What are the different types of chatbot?<\/h2>\n

Businesses use different types of chatbots depending on their needs: voicebots, callbots, decision trees, and AI chatbots.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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Here are the different types of <\/span>chatbot<\/span> commonly used by businesses:<\/span><\/h3>\n
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The Voicebot<\/h3>\n

We have all encountered a voicebot at least once, and honestly it has often made us want to pull our hair out! \"\ud83e\udd2f\"<\/p>\n

The voicebot is that voice asking us to give our answer out loud and which, after the 5th attempt, keeps saying “Sorry, I did not understand your response”.<\/p>\n

\"\ud83d\ude05\"<\/p>\n

These voicebots<\/strong> can manage a conversation<\/strong> using natural language, but via voice instead of text. They are based on a computer program capable of interpreting human speech over the phone, using automatic language processing<\/strong> technology.<\/p>\n

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The Callbot<\/h3>\n

The callbot<\/strong> is equipped with speech recognition and synthesis capabilities, which allow it to perform semantic analysis.<\/p>\n

In short, a callbot<\/strong> is capable of:<\/p>\n