Life long learners and technology literate individuals

We have been studying with the Year 11 Business class how technological advancement is now a very important government objective in addition to the traditional ones such as Inflation and Unemployment. Technology can really help improve the business environment in which one operates and has a huge effect on cost-push inflation. The Year 11s have been researching a relatively new type of artificial intelligence: the ‘Chatbot’ which has become a big business even in the world of education.

What is a chatbot in artificial intelligence?

At the most basic level, a chatbot is a computer program that simulates and processes human conversation (either written or spoken), allowing humans to interact with digital devices as if they were communicating with a real person. (Oxford Dictionary)

Artificially intelligent chatbots aren’t just for Fortune 500 companies anymore. Thanks to a barrage of innovative bot ventures that focus on the user experience, small business owners are now using artificial intelligence (AI) to improve daily operations, connect with clients and increase sales. Mark Zuckerburg has been touting AI chatbot technology for a while now and in much more force since the Covid19 pandemic. This is due to businesses moving more of their operations online. Nearly ¼ of all companies use chatbots for their customer service e.g. Amazon, one of the biggest e-commerce and online businesses in the world. However, surprisingly micro businesses and small businesses currently employ chatbots at higher rates than larger businesses. In a business setting, chatbots are widely used to help customers find answers quickly without requiring human intervention hence reducing overheads.

Research shows that:

71% of customers would prefer to use a chatbot to check an order status.

67% would prefer to use a chatbot for help searching for products.

62% would rather use a chatbot to get information and deals

The large tech companies who operate in an Oligopoly market – Google, Meta/Facebook, Microsoft – are in a race to introduce new artificial intelligence systems constantly.

Interestingly, New York City schools have banned ChatGPT, the artificial intelligence chatbot that generates human-like writing including essays, amid fears that students could use it to cheat. Most Principals agreed that while the tool may be able to provide quick and easy answers to questions, it does not build critical-thinking and problem-solving skills, which are essential for academic and lifelong success.  Even the best teachers cannot transform barely literate students into star writers! Essays that suddenly shine are almost always the product of A.I. yet A.I chatbot businesses are booming in many parts of the world. Watch this space!

Nabiha Janoowalla

Here’s what our Year 11 students think of A.I Chatbots, they certainly know more about it than me!:

AI chatbots have shook the online world as students have been using AI to do their homework for them. AI has developed far enough that it’s hard to distinguish between who wrote the work. Chatbots are useful to get information as it’s faster than researching it yourself although it prevents students from improving their language writing skills as it is done by an AI in a few seconds. But it is really useful and I think it’s a good idea as it presents a lot of information to you in a small amount of time. It is most effective for Humanities subjects and less so in Mathematics.

Arnav

Chatbots have become an essential tool for businesses and students alike. Businesses use chatbots to provide customer support, answer queries, and increase engagement with their audience. This enables them to build relationships with their customers and boost their reputation and gain brand loyalty relatively cheaply improving their cash flow statements. On the other hand, students use chatbots to communicate with their teachers and classmates, seek help, and collaborate on projects. Chatbots are also helpful for remote learning as they enable students to participate in discussions and get real-time feedback from their teachers. In my opinion, chatbots are an effective way to enhance communication and improve efficiency in both business and educational settings.

Fidel

Chatbots give the ability to learn without being constrained by time or space, which makes chatbots useful in the educational sector as well. Also, because students are less stressed while conversing with a chatbot and repeating lessons, it enhances the effects of self-directed learning. Chatbots assist in informing students of the details, due dates, and timetables of their assignments as well as providing all necessary information. Moreover, chatbots help both institutions conduct and assess assessments.

Kingdavid

What are chatbots?

-A chatbot or chatterbot is a software application used to conduct an online chat conversation via text or text-to-speech, in lieu of providing direct contact with a live human agent.

How are they used in education?

-They are virtual assistants that help teach students, evaluate papers, get student and alumni data, update curriculums and coordinate admission processes.

How are they used in businesses?

-Businesses can use chatbots to help find quality sales leads, improve customer service and engage customers at different points in the sales journey.

Are they mostly used by small businesses or big businesses? and why?

-Chatbots are used by small businesses because Chatbots enable small businesses without extensive resources to find new leads, convert customers, and provide better customer service. Less Time/Less Money – Chatbots are an affordable mean of providing a better customer experience. A chatbot can approximately cost anywhere between $20,000 to $80,000 for business use.

Example of a chatbot at work

Daniel

In my opinion chatbots are very convenient for small businesses although bigger businesses use them as well, for example Jumia. AI Chatbots are very applicable in businesses specifically in education for students. AI chatbots are predominantly like teachers because it answers all your questions you may have. AI chatbots are accessible 24/7 unlike teachers which you can just access for a short period of time. AI chatbots help improve the efficiency of teachers overall. AI chatbots do not restrict students from learning. In the long run I see AI chatbots becoming a successful technology because in the future technologies will play a major role especially for students who enjoy working independently.

Rhea

AI chatbots in education.-Revolutionary or a failure? 

The disadvantage of a chatbot in education is the major drawback of the lack of human assistance in cases where the chatbot is unable to answer complex and/or personal questions or cases where students prefer human contact. Another drawback of the AI in education is the increase in teacher unemployment because computers can instruct students without the need for human intervention. Foreseeable changes that AI could bring about in further education include improved personalised learning experiences for students, increased use of data-driven decision-making by educators, and greater use of AI-powered educational tools and resources by students and teachers.

Chatbots help improve major efficiency of teachers. By tutoring students in the virtual realm, answering all their common queries, providing them with course material, evaluating their work and mapping their progress to give individual feedback, chatbots play the role of the perfect teacher's assistant!

Mphoentle