Editing Chatbot (section)

=== Messaging apps ===
Many companies' chatbots run on [[messaging apps]] or simply via [[SMS]]. They are used for [[B2C]] customer service, sales and marketing.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Beaver|first1=Laurie|title=The Chatbots Explainer|newspaper=Business Insider |date=July 2016|publisher=BI Intelligence|url=https://www.businessinsider.com/chatbots-explained-why-businesses-should-be-paying-attention-to-the-chatbot-revolution-2016-7?IR=T|access-date=4 November 2019|archive-date=3 May 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190503111645/https://www.businessinsider.com/chatbots-explained-why-businesses-should-be-paying-attention-to-the-chatbot-revolution-2016-7?IR=T|url-status=live}}</ref>

In 2016, Facebook Messenger allowed developers to place chatbots on their platform. There were 30,000 bots created for Messenger in the first six months, rising to 100,000 by September 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://venturebeat.com/2017/04/18/facebook-messenger-hits-100000-bots/|title=Facebook Messenger Hits 100,000 bots|access-date=22 September 2017|date=18 April 2017|archive-date=22 September 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170922195723/https://venturebeat.com/2017/04/18/facebook-messenger-hits-100000-bots/|url-status=live}}</ref>

Since September 2017, this has also been as part of a pilot program on WhatsApp. Airlines [[KLM]] and [[Aeroméxico]] both announced their participation in the testing;<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.phocuswire.com/KLM-claims-airline-first-with-WhatsApp-Business-Platform|title=KLM claims airline first with WhatsApp Business Platform|website=www.phocuswire.com|access-date=12 December 2021|archive-date=5 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200205211831/https://www.phocuswire.com/KLM-claims-airline-first-with-WhatsApp-Business-Platform|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.forbes.com.mx/aeromexico-te-respondera-por-whatsapp-durante-2018/|title=Aeroméxico te atenderá por WhatsApp durante 2018|author=Forbes Staff|date=26 October 2017|access-date=2 July 2018|archive-date=2 July 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180702180522/https://www.forbes.com.mx/aeromexico-te-respondera-por-whatsapp-durante-2018/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com.mx/2017/10/27/podras-hacer-check-in-y-consultar-tu-vuelo-con-aeromexico-a-traves-de-whatsapp_a_23258181/|title=Podrás hacer 'check in' y consultar tu vuelo con Aeroméxico a través de WhatsApp|date=27 October 2017|access-date=2 July 2018|newspaper=Huffington Post|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180310135702/https://www.huffingtonpost.com.mx/2017/10/27/podras-hacer-check-in-y-consultar-tu-vuelo-con-aeromexico-a-traves-de-whatsapp_a_23258181/|archive-date=10 March 2018|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://blog.whatsapp.com/10000633/Building-for-People-and-Now-Businesses|title=Building for People, and Now Businesses|website=WhatsApp.com|access-date=2 July 2018|archive-date=9 February 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180209031529/https://blog.whatsapp.com/10000633/Building-for-People-and-Now-Businesses|url-status=live}}</ref> both airlines had previously launched customer services on the Facebook Messenger platform.

The bots usually appear as one of the user's contacts, but can sometimes act as participants in a [[Chat room|group chat]].

Many banks, insurers, media companies, e-commerce companies, airlines, hotel chains, retailers, health care providers, government entities, and restaurant chains have used chatbots to [[question answering|answer simple questions]], increase [[customer engagement]],<ref>{{cite web|title=She is the company's most effective employee|work=Nordea News|url=https://nordeanews-no.translate.goog/2017/09/hun-er-bankens-mest-effektive-medarbeider/?_x_tr_sl=no&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=no|date=September 2017|access-date=23 March 2023|archive-date=23 March 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230323165008/https://www-nordea-com.translate.goog/no?_x_tr_sl=no&_x_tr_tl=en&_x_tr_hl=no|url-status=live}}</ref> for promotion, and to offer additional ways to order from them.<ref>{{cite web|title=Better believe the bot boom is blowing up big for B2B, B2C businesses|url=https://venturebeat.com/2016/07/24/better-believe-the-bot-boom-is-blowing-up-big-for-b2b-b2c-businesses-vb-live/|website=VentureBeat|date=24 July 2016|access-date=30 August 2017|archive-date=3 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170803182306/https://venturebeat.com/2016/07/24/better-believe-the-bot-boom-is-blowing-up-big-for-b2b-b2c-businesses-vb-live/|url-status=live}}</ref> Chatbots are also used in [[market research]] to collect short survey responses.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Dandapani |first=Arundati |url=https://www.rti.org/rti-press-publication/language-survey-research |title=The Essential Role of Language in Survey Research |date=30 April 2020 |publisher=RTI Press |isbn=978-1-934831-24-3 |editor-last=Sha |editor-first=Mandy |pages=221–230 |chapter=Redesigning Conversations with Artificial Intelligence (Chapter 11) |doi=10.3768/rtipress.bk.0023.2004 |doi-access=free}}</ref>

A 2017 study showed 4% of companies used chatbots.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.pm360online.com/the-ai-revolution-is-underway/|title=The AI Revolution is Underway! |website=www.PM360online.com|date=18 October 2017|author=Capan, Faruk|access-date=7 March 2018|archive-date=8 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180308043007/https://www.pm360online.com/the-ai-revolution-is-underway/|url-status=live}}</ref> In a 2016 study, 80% of businesses said they intended to have one by 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.businessinsider.com/80-of-businesses-want-chatbots-by-2020-2016-12|title=80% of businesses want chatbots by 2020|website=[[Business Insider]]|date=15 December 2016|access-date=7 March 2018|archive-date=8 March 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180308042224/http://www.businessinsider.com/80-of-businesses-want-chatbots-by-2020-2016-12|url-status=live}}</ref>

==== As part of company apps and websites ====

Previous generations of chatbots were present on company websites, e.g. Ask Jenn from [[Alaska Airlines]] which debuted in 2008<ref name="nytimes.com">{{cite web|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/04/business/04road.html|title=A Virtual Travel Agent With All the Answers|date=4 March 2008|website=The New York Times|access-date=3 August 2017|archive-date=15 June 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170615183749/http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/04/business/04road.html|url-status=live}}</ref> or [[Expedia]]'s virtual customer service agent which launched in 2011.<ref name="nytimes.com" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hypergridbusiness.com/2011/10/chatbot-vendor-directory-released/|title=Chatbot vendor directory released|date=October 2011|website=www.hypergridbusiness.com|access-date=23 April 2017|archive-date=23 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170423153332/http://www.hypergridbusiness.com/2011/10/chatbot-vendor-directory-released/|url-status=live}}</ref> The newer generation of chatbots includes [[IBM Watson]]-powered "Rocky", introduced in February 2017 by the New York City-based [[e-commerce]] company Rare Carat to provide information to prospective diamond buyers.<ref>{{cite news |title=Rare Carat's Watson-powered chatbot will help you put a diamond ring on it |date=15 February 2017 |url=https://techcrunch.com/2017/02/15/rare-carats-watson-powered-chat-bot-will-help-you-put-a-diamond-ring-on-it/ |agency=TechCrunch |access-date=22 August 2017 |archive-date=22 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170822133420/https://techcrunch.com/2017/02/15/rare-carats-watson-powered-chat-bot-will-help-you-put-a-diamond-ring-on-it/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |date=10 March 2017 |title=10 ways you may have already used IBM Watson |url=https://venturebeat.com/2017/03/10/10-ways-you-may-have-already-used-ibm-watson/ |agency=VentureBeat |access-date=22 August 2017 |archive-date=22 August 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170822101320/https://venturebeat.com/2017/03/10/10-ways-you-may-have-already-used-ibm-watson/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==== Chatbot sequences ====
Used by marketers to script sequences of messages, very similar to an [[autoresponder]] sequence. Such sequences can be triggered by user opt-in or the use of keywords within user interactions. After a trigger occurs a sequence of messages is delivered until the next anticipated user response. Each user response is used in the decision tree to help the chatbot navigate the response sequences to deliver the correct response message.