What is a Chatbot? The Plain English Guide

You've probably used a chatbot without realising it. Visited a website and a little box popped up in the corner asking "How can I help?" That's a chatbot. And they're everywhere now.

But what actually is a chatbot? Is it the same as AI? Can you trust what it tells you? And when should you just ask for a real person instead?

The Short Answer

A chatbot is a computer programme that's designed to have a text conversation with you. You type something, it types something back. Some are very basic, working from a script of pre-written answers. Others are much more sophisticated and can understand what you're asking in a more flexible way.

Think of it like this. A basic chatbot is like a phone menu: "Press 1 for accounts, press 2 for complaints." It follows fixed paths. A smart chatbot is more like talking to a shop assistant who can actually listen to your question and give you a relevant answer.

Where You'll Find Chatbots

They pop up in more places than you'd expect:

• Bank websites. Most high street banks now use chatbots for simple queries like "what's my balance?" or "how do I reset my password?"
• Online shopping. Asking about delivery times, returns, or tracking a parcel? You're probably talking to a chatbot first.
• The NHS website. The NHS 111 online service uses a chatbot to assess your symptoms and point you in the right direction.
• Energy companies. For meter readings, billing questions, and switching tariffs.
• Council websites. Reporting issues like potholes or missed bins.

Sometimes it's obvious you're talking to a chatbot. Other times it's not, which can be a bit frustrating when you want a real person.

Chatbot vs ChatGPT: What's the Difference?

This confuses a lot of people, which is completely understandable. The names sound similar.

A chatbot is usually designed for one specific job. The chatbot on your bank's website can only help with banking. It doesn't know anything about recipes or travel or gardening. It's a specialist.

ChatGPT is a generalist. It can talk about almost anything because it was trained on a massive amount of text from across the internet. It can write letters, explain concepts, plan trips, and much more. But it doesn't have access to your bank account or your medical records.

So when the NHS chatbot asks about your symptoms, it's following a medical decision tree built by doctors. When ChatGPT talks about health, it's drawing on general knowledge and might not always be accurate. Different tools for different jobs.

Can You Trust a Chatbot?

Depends on the chatbot. Here's a rough guide:

Trust it for:

• Answering basic questions about a company's services
• Directing you to the right page or department
• Simple tasks like tracking a delivery or checking opening hours

Be careful with:

• Anything involving your money or personal details
• Medical advice (use it as a starting point, not a diagnosis)
• Complex problems that need human judgement

The golden rule? If the chatbot is giving you information about its own company's products or services, it's probably reliable. If it's trying to give you advice on something complicated or personal, take it with a pinch of salt.

When to Ask for a Real Person

There's no shame in this. Chatbots have limits, and sometimes you just need a human being.

Most chatbots have an option to "speak to an agent" or "transfer to a human." It's sometimes hidden at the bottom of the chat or behind a button that says "this isn't helpful." Look for it. Use it.

Ask for a real person when:

• The chatbot keeps going in circles and not answering your question
• Your problem is unusual or complicated
• You need to make a formal complaint
• You're dealing with something sensitive

Companies put chatbots in front of you because they're cheaper than phone staff. That's fair enough for simple queries. But you have every right to speak to a person when you need to.

Are Chatbots AI?

Some are, some aren't. The basic ones that follow scripts? Not really AI, just clever programming. The newer ones that can understand natural language and give flexible answers? Yes, those use AI.

But honestly, the label doesn't matter much. What matters is whether the chatbot actually helps you. If it does, great. If it doesn't, ask for a human.

A Quick Summary

Chatbots are computer programmes that chat with you by text. They range from very basic to quite smart. You'll find them on most big websites these days. They're useful for simple tasks but have limits. And you can always ask for a real person if you need one.

Nothing to be worried about. They're just tools, like everything else in the tech world.

Want to understand more about how AI works? Have a read of our plain English guide to AI, or learn about how to use ChatGPT if you fancy trying the more powerful kind of chatbot for yourself.