By Adeleye Kunle
When digital computers were developed in the 1940s, it was clearly demonstrated that computers could be programmed to perform extremely complex tasks. However, it was also dependent on the programmer’s ability to determine the extent to which this could occur, hence the phrase and digital jargon, ‘garbage in, garbage out.’
It was never imagined that something else, even a machine, could completely perform tasks normally associated with intelligent beings.
That is precisely what Artificial Intelligence, AI, has come to do. Artificial intelligence is the development of systems with human-like intellectual processes, such as the ability to reason, discover meaning, generalize, or learn from past experience.
AI has altered several roles, including the use of self-checkouts, ATMs, and customer support chatbots.
The goal, however, is not to frighten people, but to highlight the fact that technology is constantly changing lives and carrying out activities to replace the human workforce. At the same time, technological advancements are creating new job opportunities. AI is expected to increase professional demand, particularly in robotics and software engineering.
AI has also aided business growth by fostering a new model of interactive customer relationships.
Today, every Nigerian company is looking for new ways to increase consumer engagement and profitability in order to keep up with changes in consumer behavior.
For example, an increasing number of consumers are spending time on their mobile devices, using messaging apps such as WhatsApp and SMS, as well as searching for information on Google and Maps.
As a result, businesses are reimagining customer experience and business-to-consumer communication using a variety of technologies. Many businesses are now communicating with customers via WhatsApp, SMS, and Google Search.
This has resulted in an increase in brand influencer marketing, social media/messaging channel outreach, email marketing, and product and service personalization.
Dr. Inderpal Singh Mumick, EVP Telecom Business at Gupshup, stated: “The challenge now is to develop a one-stop shop concept that will catch on with users and get them to patronize a brand.”
Conversational AI, according to him, is the technology that allows computers to connect and engage with people through natural language – think of it as simulating a human conversation.
“Using conversational AI, computers will understand and process natural language inputs and respond in a natural, intuitive, human-like manner,” he explained. Businesses typically use a conversational AI platform to connect with customers in real-time via chatbots on popular messaging, voice, and video channels. Customers can ask questions, make purchases, and even get service and support through WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, Android Messages, and other popular social media and messaging platforms. As a result, engaging with a brand feels more like a human conversation than a business transaction to consumers.
“With conversational AI solutions, brands can engage with customers anytime, anywhere, and across any channel.”
He cited the ability to drive personalisation at scale and make every engagement truly interactive, contextual, and time bound as benefits of conversational AI for brands.
For him, faster conversions and repeat purchases help businesses generate more revenue.
He stated that his company, Gupshup, was founded with the intention of assisting businesses and consumers in connecting with one another through meaningful two-way conversations. “Today, we are a global leader in conversational engagement solutions, powering over 9 billion messages per month.” Gupshup is also regarded by businesses as a full-stack conversational engagement platform, with solutions for conversational marketing, commerce, and service/support. Brands use our enterprise-grade conversational engagement platform to engage and communicate one-on-one with consumers via popular messaging channels such as WhatsApp, RCS, Business Messages, Facebook, SMS, Instagram, and others.”
Consumers have been demanding greater empathy, personalization, and transparency from brands since the outbreak of the pandemic. They expect frictionless, personalized experiences at every stage of their interactions with brands and are willing to pay a premium for a great experience. However, delivering this to millions of consumers is a large-scale challenge, which Inderpal believes conversational AI solutions can help brands overcome.
“By leveraging AI-enabled conversational engagement solutions, brands can converse with customers rather than at them.” In contrast to a broadcast approach, this helps to build a one-on-one and trusted relationship with consumers. As a result, information is delivered to consumers like you and me in a far more personal and highly relevant manner,” he added.
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