Google Cloud Next conference prompts thoughts on AI in the workplace

Three requirements for making chatbots successful

By Traci Gusher-Thomas

Being on the ground at the Google Cloud Next conference in San Francisco this week is a reminder of how Google was one of the earliest commercial pioneers of artificial intelligence (AI). AI engines are now behind the development of the chatbot, which has changed the way consumers engage with technology in the 21^st century. But what is the next iteration of this technology which has become so influential in our personal lives?

KPMG sees a strong possibility that sophisticated versions of chatbots will be imminently integrated into businesses, working side by side with humans.

This week at Google NEXT, we are discussing our recent thought leadership paper, “How May A.I. Assist You,” as we explore the applications of how “conversational agents” will interact with employees through natural voice or text dialogs, on devices such as smartphones, automotive infotainment consoles and smart speakers.

In the workplace, conversational agents can help workers interact more seamlessly with each other, streamline office operations, execute internal processes, and deliver insights more efficiently.

More enterprises are turning to these conversational agents to improve productivity and streamline internal operations, from simple tasks like ordering lunch to helping to orchestrate IT tasks to providing monthly financials. Success, however, is dependent not only on the functionality of the bot, but its design and personality.

There are a number of conditions required to use conversational agents successfully:

Ensure the bot has a unique personality: Yes, bots have personalities. For a bot to succeed within an organization, the persona of the bot must align with a company’s values and culture. The bot must “understand” how to engage with different employees, from entry level hires to busy executives.
Ensure bots learn over time: Not only will the bot become better at completing tasks and learning new skills, it will use machine learning to understand who it’s talking to and adjust its tone and responses accordingly.
Design bots to fail usefully: Conversational agents must recognize when they are verging past limits of their understanding and create a constructive response.

We can also share insights on: where and why to use conversational agents; how to drive enterprise adoption of conversational agents; the building blocks of successful conversational agent deployment; and how to grow conversational agent capabilities as technology evolves.

We believe the next frontier for business productivity is for organizations to embrace conversational agents across their organizations. The technology is ready. Are businesses?

If you’re attending Google NEXT, please tune in for the How May A.I. Assist You presentation on Wednesday, April 10, 2019 at1:30 PM PT, located at Theater 2 in the Moscone Center. To speak with Traci Gusher-Thomas, please contact Melanie Batley.