The author argues that customers do not actually want chat bots for customer service, contrary to what companies claim. Chat bots can only handle simple, routine queries, but for complicated issues customers want to speak to a human representative. Companies are pushing chat bots to reduce costs and increase profits, without considering the negative impact on customer experience. The author only sees chat bots as useful for customers when used to cancel subscriptions that require contacting customer service, showing how frustrating the current system is. The author believes we should build technology that customers actually want and would appreciate, rather than focusing on bad experiences or defending against them.
Currently they’re stupid, and their grasp on coherence just isn’t there. They “drift” in a way. They’re like compulsive liars and confabulators, just rattling off speech without any sense of responsibility to ensure it’s true.
It’s a bit like having a conversation with a toddler, to be honest. They’ll link together concepts that have no business being together and speak as if they’re the rational ones. It won’t stay that way though—chat bots are evolving at a frightening speed because the capitalists have learned if you can pretend to be a person on the internet, you can buy votes.