Bots are everywhere. Logistics bots, geriatric bots, manufacturing bots and even winemaking bots. But what are these new creations supposed to accompany, care for or animate humans?
Among the family of bots, the best known is the chatbot. It is a computer program that simulates a dialogue with humans. This technique was first invented and presented by Alan Turing in the 1950s. This brilliant British cryptologist and mathematician entered the pantheon of computing history by deciphering Nazi codes during WWII. His supercomputer broke the codes created by ENIGMA.
But Turing is best known for openly asking a milestone question in computing : can machines think ?
The Turing test
The ultimate objective of the Turing Test was for a human candidate to identify the computer between a human an the computer. Or if you prefer, for the computer to simulate human writing in such a degree as to be taken for a human by another human. If the machine is not identified as a machine, the computer has passed the Turing Test.
Nowadays, computer programs known as bots have become very sophisticated. They can perform after sales services for customers, advise them in their purchase on the Internet or assist them during a complex process. In health care, they help elderly accomplishing their daily tasks. They assist Dutch postal workers delivering mail.
A bot for your business?
How to integrate bots into your business? It’s simple, you first have to think of their added value in terms of service.