Chatbot vs. Conversational AI: What's the Difference?

Chatbots vs conversational AI may sound an awful lot like “tomato, tomahto.” Isn’t this a “same difference” scenario? 

Turns out the answer is no

But don't worry. We're here to clear out any misconceptions. In just a few minutes, you'll be a chatbot vs. conversational AI pro. 

We'll quickly go over what these technologies are, what makes them different, and help you decide when you should use one versus the other. 

We’ll cover: 

Let’s get started!

Chatbot vs. conversational AI: Which is right for you?

Do you need the TL;DR version? Can’t be bothered to read through the whole chatbot vs conversational AI debate? 

Don’t worry, we’ve got the Cliff’s Notes version right here. The choice comes down to what you need and how quickly you need it.

A chatbot is a computer program designed to simulate conversations with humans, often used for basic customer service tasks.

A conversational AI is an advanced technology that enables computers to understand and respond to human language in a more natural and nuanced way, leading to sophisticated interactions.

Let’s go a bit deeper: 

What is a chatbot?

Chatbots are software programs that can have conversations with people through messaging apps, websites, mobile apps, and more. They’re akin to virtual assistants who are programmed to understand language and respond appropriately, but in a more limited way than their older siblings. 

What is conversational AI?

As we established above, chatbots are software programs that can have conversations with people using pre-set responses. 

But a conversational AI is smarter — it understands natural language and context, so it can have more complex, nuanced conversations. Think of chatbots as basic autoresponders, while conversational AI is more advanced and personalized.

Let’s take a look at some of its features: 

What can you use chatbots and conversational AI for?

Still not quite sure where you stand on the chatbot vs conversational AI dilemma? Let’s take a look at some use cases, and how you can leverage this tech to your advantage:

Customer Support

Chatbots:  

Conversational AI: 

Lead Generation

Chatbots: 

Conversational AI: 

Education and Training

Chatbots: 

Conversational AI: 

Personal Assistants

Chatbots: 

Conversational AI: 

Healthcare

Chatbots:

Conversational AI:

Finance

Chatbots:

Conversational AI:

Of course, this is just scratching the surface.

Frequently asked questions

What’s the difference between a chatbot and conversational AI?

Chatbots are programmed to have basic conversations based on predefined rules and scripts. They typically respond with canned answers to common questions. Conversational AI uses machine learning and natural language processing (NLP) to have more human-like conversations.

So chatbots are dumb and conversational AI is smart?

Chatbots can be useful for simple tasks like customer support FAQs or taking pizza orders. But they lack the ability to understand complex sentences or continue a coherent conversation. 

Conversational AI is more sophisticated and aims to replicate natural human dialogue. The key is that it learns from interactions, gets smarter over time, and can handle more nuanced conversations.

Should I use a chatbot or conversational AI for my business?

It depends on your needs. If you want to automate simple questions and tasks, a chatbot may do the trick. But for truly engaging customer experiences, conversational AI is the way to go. 

Some options:

Chatbot vs conversational AI: How do I decide? 

Here are a few questions to help determine if you need a chatbot or conversational AI:

Summing up 

So, in the chatbot vs conversational AI battle, who wins? While conversational AI clearly has the edge, it’s not always an either/or scenario.

Chatbots are helpful for simple tasks, but if you want something more human-like that can understand nuance and even pass the Turing test, conversational AI is what you’re after. 

Next steps

Lindy isn't your average chatbot. She's a powerful conversational AI that combines the best of both worlds, delivering the efficiency of a chatbot with the advanced capabilities of conversational AI. 

Here's some of the ways she can help:

Try out Lindy for free.