Introduction to chatbots using Amazon Lex

What is a conversational interface?

A conversational interface is an interface in which you can talk or write to in plain language.

Human beings and computers don’t speak the same language. So, to make that interaction possible, we rely on graphical user interfaces (GUIs). However, in order to use GUIs, users have to learn where they need to type, that a hamburger button is a menu and which buttons trigger an action. But as technology evolves and language recognition and processing improves, interactions with digital services will continue to become more intuitive, accessible and efficient using conversational interfaces.

Instead of communicating with a computer in its computer language, by clicking on icons and entering syntax specific commands, you can interact with it using human language by simply telling it what to do.

Conversational interfaces will replace graphical or command line interfaces, which allows people to talk using voice or chat with a text interface that uses natural language with computers.

The image above displays sample bot conversations. [1]

Types of conversational interfaces

• Basic bots: Inputs for basic bots are limited. The design of the interface is basic, allowing for simple commands and basic inputs.
• Text based assistants: This is the type you usually experience when interacting with a bot through text. You simply type the word and provide the input. Depending on the quality of your input, the bot will provide you with an accurate answer.
• Voice based assistants: Voice assistants such as Google Assistant and Amazon’s Echo are adopted by many shopping sites. Amazon’s assistant can help you to order products or add new ones to your wish list. While basic bots and text-based assistants leverage images and video to convey their message, voice assistants have the difficulty of only relying on voice. While voice is sufficient for some use cases like re-ordering a frequently purchased item, voice may not be a good interface for examining a new product or picking an item from a menu.