WhatsApp and WHO create a chatbot to share reliable coronavirus info

In an attempt to help users find accurate coronavirus information, WhatsApp and the World Health Organization (WHO) have launched a chatbot that will answer questions about the pandemic. When users text "hi" to the new WHO Health Alert (+41 79 893 18...

Nuance’s AI uses real interactions to make chat bots smarter

Many high profile brands and companies have a customer service chat bot function on their website. Indeed, some research suggests that by 2020 conversational AI will be the main go-to for customer support in large organizations. But as the current te...

Microsoft buys chatbot company to juice its AI projects

Research company Gartner believes that by 2020, conversational AI -- or chat bots -- will be the predominant go-to for customer support in large organizations. So if you've got a question or a problem, chances are you'll be talking to a computer abou...

Ubisoft’s AI-powered gaming assistant is now available

We got a sneak peek at Ubisoft's gamer-centric virtual assistant this past January, but it was only out in Canada in a sort of soft launch. Now, the helpful chatbot named Sam — part of the Ubisoft Club mobile app — is available to everyon...

Microsoft AI knows when to (politely) interrupt conversations

Most AI assistants can't really hold a conversation. They're fine with I-go-you-go dialogue, but most humans aren't quite so timid -- they know when to interrupt, and when to restart chat when there's an awkward pause. Microsoft wants to fix that. It...

Facebook tries giving chatbots a consistent personality

Dig into the personalities of chat bots and you'll find that they're about as shallow as they were in the days of Eliza or Dr. Sbaitso. They respond with canned phrases and tend to be blithely unaware of what you've said. Facebook wants to fix that....