Ai chatbot vs rule based chatbot

What is a rule-based chatbot also referred to as decision-tree bot?‍

Rule-based chatbots take the user on a predefined journey where the user makes their selection of what the next step should be based on what is on offer. For example when you call your Electricity provider and an automated voice message asks you to press 1 for Sales, press 2 for Support and press 3 for Billing etc…. Once you made your selection will you be taken to the next block in the conversation flow. These bots are based on a series of defined rules. 

Just like a flowchart, rule-based chatbots map out conversations. They do this in anticipation of what a customer might ask, and how the chatbot should respond in order to speed up getting to a resolution. 

Rule-based chatbots can be very simple or can also use complicated rules working via APIs integrating them with 3rd party systems. They can't, however, answer any questions outside of the defined rules. Neither do these chatbots learn through interactions. 

Simply put, they only perform and work with the scenarios you build them for block by block. Everything else will have to be dealt with in a live chat session via human takeover.

What are AI chatbots?‍

AI chatbots that use machine learning can respond to more complex questions by generating natural-language answers. They do this by understanding the context and intent of a question before giving a reply. These chatbots learn from their interactions with the users and improve their performance over time.

Technologies like Siri, Alexa and Google Assistant that are ubiquitous in every household today are excellent examples of conversational AI. These conversational AI bots are more advanced than regular rule based chatbots that are built with answers to certain questions.

Advantages of a rule-based chatbot

Rule-based bots have a more fixed way of talking, but this can also be good. You can be more sure of what they will do, while chatbots that use machine learning can be more surprising. Some other good things about a rule-based chatbot are that they:

*can be trained quicker (cheaper)

* integrates easily with legacy systems

* make it easier to pass to a human agent

* are very safe and reliable

* can have fun and media things

* note restricted to text interactions

Advantages of AI chatbots

AI bots appear as the more sophisticated version of the rule based chatbots. They are good for companies that have a lot of data. They take more time to train at first, but they save a lot of time later.

AI chatbots will:

*get better from the data they collect

* improve more as they get more data

* know how people behave

* can make more choices

* can talk in many languages

Which chatbot is best for you: AI or rule based?

AI chatbots are more complex, but they are not always needed. Rule-based chatbots are better for smaller companies or those with clear goals. 

You should think about a rule-based chatbot if:

*You have a particular goal(s) you are leading people towards

* You want to use a chatbot to answer common questions

* Your chatbot will help users talk to human agents

* You don't have many examples of conversations to train it with

Are rule-based chatbots the best?

People like to know in advance what a chatbot can and can't do. When the conversation is too open, people often don't start it. By giving buttons of a rule based chatbot and a simple way for the customer, things tend to go better.

AI chatbots have their use, but most of the time, our clients see that rule-based bots can actually do what they need. And the more you teach your rule-based chatbot, the more it can do.

Questions that your rule-based chatbot can't answer are a chance for your company to learn! You can easily change and improve the rules, while machine learning is harder to fix when things go wrong.

Author's opinion: Probably best to go with both at this stage since adding GPT is actually really affordable. Have a rule based chatbot in production mode on your website, WhatsApp and other Social channels and start playing/training with a GPT powered chatbot simultaneously. As and when you are ready to make the switch to AI - go for it. (And let us know when you did, happy to do a case study with you)