What Is a Chatbot?
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What Is a Chatbot?
A chatbot is a software program designed to simulate conversation with users, usually through text or voice, so businesses can answer questions, guide customers, or handle simple requests automatically without a human needing to respond to every message.
Rule-Based vs AI-Powered Chatbots
Rule-based chatbots follow a fixed decision tree — they match keywords or button clicks to pre-written responses, working well for simple, predictable questions like store hours or order status, but struggling with anything outside their scripted flow. AI-powered chatbots, built on large language models, understand natural language more flexibly, can handle open-ended questions, and generate original responses rather than pulling from a fixed script, though they typically need to be connected to accurate business data to avoid giving vague or incorrect answers.
Common Business Uses
Businesses commonly use chatbots for first-line customer support, answering frequently asked questions instantly rather than making customers wait for a human agent. E-commerce sites use them to help shoppers find products or track orders. Internal chatbots help employees quickly find HR policies or IT troubleshooting steps. When implemented well — with a clear handoff to a human agent for anything the bot can't resolve — chatbots reduce response times and free up staff for more complex requests, rather than replacing human support entirely.