AI and automation
AI chatbot vs. traditional chatbot: key differences
Rule-based and AI-powered chatbots solve different problems. Choosing the wrong one creates avoidable cost.
Traditional (rule-based) chatbots
They follow predefined scripts, menus, and keywords. Behaviour is predictable and cheap to run, but they handle only anticipated inputs and often frustrate users with dead ends.
AI-powered chatbots
They interpret natural language using a language model, often grounded in your documents, and can handle varied phrasing and follow-up questions. They require careful grounding to avoid confident but wrong answers.
Cost and maintenance differ
Rule-based flows demand ongoing script maintenance for each new case. AI chatbots demand content maintenance, evaluation, and guardrails instead.
A sensible default
Use rules for structured, high-risk steps (payments, account changes) and AI for information retrieval, drafting, and triage — with human review for consequential outcomes.