Limitations of Chatbots

ChatGPT (the original), Bing, Jasper, and Google Bard – are just a few of the available Chatbots, and the list seems to be growing each week. Chatbots are THE thing of 2023 and are here to stay. Some are free, some are specialised, and some are more limited than others. What they do have in common, is that they should all be treated with care – and their limitations understood.

What is a Chatbot?

In case you have somehow missed it, Chatbots are a computer programme designed to interact with a human in a conversational manner. This can range from answering a specific question to creating a long-form essay. ChatGPT was launched in November 2022. Since then, the number of Chatbots available has increased, as the race to have the best and latest tech, grows.

Frequently in the headlines, not only have schools banned the use of Chatbots, but some countries have now banned them amidst fears of security breaches, copyright infringement and GDPR issues.

Will jobs be lost as people are replaced with AI?

We are not convinced we have to be worried quite yet. AI has been around for years and is a fantastic way to increase productivity and automate certain functions. We believe it is something to work alongside.

Ask a question

We started by asking Bing “Will chatbots replace content writers?”

The answer given was:

That’s an interesting question. According to some experts, AI chatbots like ChatGPT are unlikely to replace human writers entirely, but they could lead to a shift in the types of jobs that are available in the writing industry1. For example, we may see an increase in demand for writers who are able to work alongside AI chatbots to create high-quality content1. However, AI chatbots are still limited in their ability to think creatively and generate original ideas1, which is a crucial skill for content writers.

The reference for this view was “Freelancingspot.com”. One reference. One writer’s point of view. The same article was referenced three times.

Whilst we may agree with the sentiment of the Chatbot response, the response itself highlights some further limitations.

Nine Limitations of Chatbots

Limited source of information

The information is taken from the web – whether that is validated, or up to date. If the only information it can find is years old and from a dodgy source, it will state that as fact unaware of any changes or the impact of the age of the information. The user of the answer needs to validate, and research before passing on.

Speed of change

Chatbots are already becoming obsolete after six months. The tech is evolving at such speed, with new features and areas of specialisation that using the right Chatbot for the right need is crucial. The right one this week, may not be the right one next week.

Lack of Emotional Intelligence

Language can be “clinical” without emotional intelligence. The inability to pick up nuances of conversation can make it inappropriate for “chat” in customer service settings. There is a degree of empathy that can be built in but still not to a human level.

Biased Information

The information given can only reflect the information available, which means only one view may be presented.

Copyright Issues

As the Chatbot is taking information from the web, the answers provided may infringe copyright law if not then used or referenced appropriately.

Complex questions

Confusion can be caused if the question asked is complex or has multiple elements to it. The ChatBot is likely not to be able to prioritise or incorporate common sense to bring the elements together in a suitable order.

Grammar and Spelling

Accuracy with grammar and spelling can be a challenge for some Chatbots, particularly when producing long-form.

The human touch

Chatbots will not add humour, sarcasm or even a sanity check on their responses. This can result in nonsense being produced, or very dry content. Matching a Chatbot’s tone of voice to your brand is not yet possible.

Lack of originality

Remember that all the Chatbot is doing is searching the web for the answer to your question, and regurgitating. There will be no opinion, or original thought to it.

The answer?

Use the AI tool to enhance and supplement your human team – not to replace it. As can be seen from the limitations, having a human eye to review, revise, validate and tweak is a great way of embracing the technology available whilst maintaining your brand’s tone of voice and human approach.

Keep an eye on the changes, and use the best Chatbot for your need. The tech is constantly evolving so these limitations will change.

If you would like to know more about Chatbots, and how they could be useful to your business, give us a call.

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