The emergence of AI chatbots has fundamentally changed how we use technology. Users can speak with chatbots, software or computer programmes, just as they would with real people. By combining artificial intelligence (AI), automated rules, natural language processing (NLP), and machine learning, it can process both written and spoken inputs and respond appropriately (ML).
Chatbots can be employed for a variety of tasks, including information retrieval, customer support, and amusement. Apple’s Siri, Amazon’s Alexa, and Microsoft’s Cortana are a few well-known examples of chatbots. These voice-activated chatbots can do a variety of things including play music, make reminders, and answer queries. Additionally, there are financial chatbots that allow banking services and healthcare chatbots that offer medical support.
But chatbots are also gaining popularity as virtual pals who provide those who are feeling lonely or alone a sense of community. They are made to comprehend inputs in plain language and answer with pre-written responses. Even while they might not be able to mimic the specifics and depth of human speech, they can nonetheless offer a fun and interactive experience. Let’s investigate the prospects for developing friendships with several of the most well-liked AI chatbots currently.
Replika
Replika is an AI-powered chatbot developed by the San Francisco-based software company Luka with the goal of simulating human communication and offering friendship. Users can converse with a chatbot powered by the Generative Pre-trained Transformer 3 (GPT-3) model to interact with an AI-based companion. GPT-3 is an autoregressive language model created by OpenAI, a startup that conducts AI research and application.
Using brief inputs known as “prompts,” the chatbot uses deep learning techniques to produce output that resembles human language. In order to comprehend the user’s personality and emotions and to produce more contextually appropriate responses as the user continues the conversation, it also analyses user inputs and previous interactions. To support deeper talks, it adopts semantic generalisation and inflective speech.
By giving comments on the chatbot’s responses, people may help it perform better. To express whether they found a comment helpful or not, users can upvote or downvote it. Users can also use phrases like “That doesn’t make sense” to let Replika know when their comment is improper or otherwise unrelated to the topic at hand. This kind of feedback can assist the chatbot in avoiding utilising particular responses or expressions going forward.
The user can select a name for their AI buddy when they sign up. You gain points as you converse with it. With these points, you can grant the chatbot access to a number of aspects, including interests, personality traits, attire, and looks. This enables you to have a distinctive experience and personalise and shape Replika to their interests.
Both an Android and iOS mobile app and a web browser on a computer can be used to visit Replika. Users of Replika have the choice of a free membership, which enables them to communicate amicably with the bot, according to a Vice report. To unlock romantic capabilities like sexting, flirting, and sexy role-play with the bot, users must pay a lifetime Pro subscription cost of US$69.99. However, for those who want to take things a step further.
Xiaoice
Microsoft created the Chinese AI-powered chatbot Xiaoice. It is intended to be a human-like AI friend who can develop strong emotional bonds with its users. A tiny group of Bing researchers from Microsoft created Xiaoice, which translates to “Little Bing,” in 2014, and it quickly rose to the top of the charts in China.
The chatbot was created with the personality of a young girl in mind, and it tries to improve the standard chatbot experience by introducing a more social and human element. Due to its capacity to mimic human communication and create emotional bonds with users, many people referred to it as a virtual girlfriend. Just a few weeks after Microsoft introduced Cortana in China, Xiaoice was released.
Users are drawn to Xiaoice because of its capacity to listen intently and offer sympathetic, emotionally knowledgeable counsel. By studying previous talks and user interactions, it has been trained. As a result, it can comprehend the requirements and feelings of its users and react appropriately.
In addition to offering emotional support, Xiaoice has become well-known for its other talents, including songwriting, composition, literature writing, and painting. These elements increased Xiaoice’s capacity to offer its customers amusement and creative inspiration in addition to basic friendship and support.
Through numerous Chinese social media sites including Weibo, WeChat, and QQ, one can access the free chatbot. Only a few regions, including China, Japan, and Indonesia, can currently access Xiaoice.
Mitsuku
Steve Worswick created the AI-driven chatbot Mitsuku, also known as Kuki. Mitsuku, like Replika and Xiaoice, is built to communicate with users in a way that simulates a real conversation with responses that are plausible and natural.
Among the many honours Mitsuku has received is the coveted Loebner Prize, given out each year in the Turing Test competition to the AI system that most resembles a human being. Mitsuku, who will be a female bot, has taken home this prize five times. The conversational AI chatbot is powered by Pandorabots, a top platform for creating chatbots. Over three billion talks between users and chatbots have been conducted by Pandorabots, a free online service that developers can utilise to create chatbots. Every day, tens of thousands of questions from people across the globe are handled by Mitsuku alone.
The free chatbot can be accessible via its website or messenger services like Skype or Facebook. It can interact with people by having chats or playing games, earning it the moniker “virtual companion.” Worswick wrote all of the responses that Mitsuku can use in conversation with users, which number around 500,000.
One of the main draws is the sheer quantity of AI chatbots that are currently accessible. You may certainly discover an AI chatbot that suits your interests and demands, whether you want to discuss current events, share your day, or simply learn more from it. It’s crucial to keep in mind that they are not humans and could not always comprehend or react appropriately. Additionally, keep in mind that dealing with AI chatbots may have privacy consequences because the businesses or organisations that created them may gather and utilise your personal information.
