Introducing Chatbots

If you haven’t been personally introduced to Siri, at least you know about her. She’s fun, she says audacious things if you ask the right question, and she knows just about everything you want to know! Siri is a “Chatbot”, a robot that simulates human conversation, and she may be living in your iPhone. (You can also turn her into a guy if you want to; she can swap genders.) If you have an Android or iOS, then your Chatbot friend doesn’t have a “name”. You just say “OK Google”, and if you are on Windows, your friend is Cortana. Oh the things they will do to help you.

Simply say your Chatbot’s name and then ask a question or give a command. If you say, “Siri, text my brother.” She will question you, “Who is your brother?” When you tell her, she will remember and not ask again. If you want a quick nap, just say “Cortana, wake me up in 20 minutes.” Your alarm will chime at the right time. Chabots work as our personal assistants; if you say “OK Google – remind me to pick up toothpaste next time I am at CVS”, your Chatbot will alert you next time you are near the store you indicate. Smart phones are getting smarter and smarter! Make friends with yours and see how much help they can be.