Many of us have probably caught ourselves talking to the computer; perhaps, sometimes, even yelling at it. Now the computer can talk back. At first, that may seem daunting or even worrisome. But overall, it’s a good thing because it’s going to make our lives easier. Conversational A.I. has made great strides over the last ten years. As proof, look no further than the applications in commerce where many companies are already using chatbots. Despite these advancements, though, there’s still a long way to go to really get computers and people communicating effectively.  

On this episode of Future of Tech, Joe Bradley, Chief Scientist at LivePerson, discusses the current state of conversational A.I., where the technology is heading, and the steps that need to be taken to get there. Joe explains how advances are being made in A.I. understanding language as well as in dialogue management. He also shares how there’s a lot of work to be done on the goal-oriented dialogue side of the technology and making sure bias is checked as systems are built. So what’s the future of computers and people communicating? Find out on this episode! 

Main Takeaways:

• Conversational A.I. Right Now: Conversational A.I. involves both understanding natural language and dialogue management. In terms of A.I., or machine learning, understanding language has come very far. Developing dialogue that supports effective communication between computers and people still has a ways to go.
• The Future of Conversational A.I.: Conversational A.I. has to improve between computers and people. The computer, of course, needs to get better at understanding complex aspects of human language. It also needs to be able to learn if its dialogue is achieving the desired goal. The other component to good communication is that people need to be educated on how to speak to computers.
• Language at Play: In our digital world, language is still very important. Perhaps it’s more important than ever to communicate effectively because of all available information at our fingertips. We don’t need to fear emojis taking over language. They are shorthand symbols that can augment language. Language evolves, and that’s how it’s supposed to be.
• Being Well-Rounded Pays Off: Being someone who is very specific and focused comes with creating technology. But having diverse interests is only an asset. Passion in areas outside a person’s primary work demonstrates a mental fluidity and a posture of openness.

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