Conversational Agent: Difference between revisions
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In common practice, conversational agent in an umbrella term generally used as synonym of [[chatbot]], but technically a chatbot is a specific kind of conversational system where the communication channel user interface (UI) is just text messages, exchanged on chat-based platforms (as [[instant-messaging]] mobile apps). | In common practice, conversational agent in an umbrella term generally used as synonym of [[chatbot]], but technically a chatbot is a specific kind of conversational system where the communication channel user interface (UI) is just text messages, exchanged on chat-based platforms (as [[instant-messaging]] mobile apps). | ||
Especially in academic parlance, the term ''conversational agent'' is synonym of ''chatbot'', and the reason emphasis on the | == ''The reason why the term agent'' == | ||
Especially in academic parlance, the term ''conversational agent'' is synonym of ''chatbot'', and the reason emphasis on the ''agent'' is maybe because conversational agents was considered software agents<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Software_agent</ref>, special application of intelligent systems<ref>https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intelligent_agent</ref> and Multi-agent systems<ref>/https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Multi-agent_system</ref> research topic. | |||
The term ''agent'' is so probably misleading, because assimilating any conversational system as a software agent that mediate between an end-user (e.g. a consumer of a business platform) and a business human operator counterpart. That use case is a specific use case and not always applicable. | The term ''agent'' is so probably misleading, because assimilating any conversational system as a software agent that mediate between an end-user (e.g. a consumer of a business platform) and a business human operator counterpart. That use case is a specific use case and not always applicable/true. | ||
The agentive role of a conversational system is commonly related to a the specifica scenario when the conversational system really acts as intermediator, requiring a final conversation between the end-user and a human operator (that's commonly called: ''[[human-in-the-loop]]''). | The agentive role of a conversational system is commonly related to a the specifica scenario when the conversational system really acts as intermediator, requiring a final conversation between the end-user and a human operator (that's commonly called: ''[[human-in-the-loop]]''). | ||
But there are many cases where the conversational system is not properly an agent, by example in pure [[command-and-control]] conversational systems that just execute automation commands to action (electro-mechanical) actuators, by example in [[home-automation]] or industrial automation realms. | But there are many cases where the conversational system is not properly an agent, by example in pure [[command-and-control]] conversational systems that just execute automation commands to action (electro-mechanical) actuators, by example in [[home-automation]] or industrial automation realms. | ||
The concept of conversational agent is currently also a synonym of [https://openvoice-tech.net/Virtual_assistants virtual assistant], in the sense of a real agentive/automation technology that assists humans to solve real-life problems, in real-time, with reactive and proactive dialogs (so called [https://openvoice-tech.net/Mixed-initiative mixed-initiative]), between the end-user and the assistant. | |||
A concrete example of a conversational agent that's a true agent, in the sense that act on behalf of end-user, conversating and explating tasks with other humans, is ''Google Duplex''<ref>https://ai.googleblog.com/2018/05/duplex-ai-system-for-natural-conversation.html</ref>. | |||
== References == | == References == | ||