Technology
What is a chatbot?
A chatbot is a program that converses with people in natural language, by text or voice. Simple ones follow scripted rules, while modern AI chatbots use large language models to understand questions and generate flexible, human-like replies.
See it, don’t just read it.
Watch a 2-minute lesson with voice + animation that explains a chatbot.
Key things to understand
- 1It simulates conversation in natural language.
- 2Rule-based bots follow fixed scripts and keywords.
- 3AI chatbots use language models to generate flexible replies.
- 4They power customer service, assistants, and search.
- 5Modern ones can handle open-ended, multi-turn conversations.
Frequently asked questions
- How does a chatbot understand me?
- Modern chatbots use large language models that interpret your words by patterns learned from huge amounts of text, then generate a fitting reply.
- What's the difference between old and new chatbots?
- Older ones followed rigid scripts and keywords; AI chatbots flexibly understand and respond to almost anything you type.
- Are chatbots always right?
- No — AI chatbots can sound confident yet be wrong, so important answers should be verified against reliable sources.