Digital labor has been here for a long time, but not in the way you might think of it. We’ve been using ATMs for years, which offloads some of the simpler tasks that a human teller would perform. An ATM is a form of digital labor in the sense that it requires you to interact with a computer application to deposit or withdraw money from your account.
Today, when you go into a McDonald’s, you generally order from a kiosk rather than a human. This blog talks about the rise of digital labor and why virtual agents and chatbots will come in many forms.
Businesses need to embrace humans and computers working hand in hand conversationally.
The Chatbots Are Here
In 2019, Aragon gave a significant presentation about the rise of chatbots (also called virtual agents). The title of the 2019 presentation was, “The Chatbots Are Coming,” however, it’s now March 2022, and we’re pleased to report that the chatbots are now officially here.
The challenge is that even today, many virtual agents and chatbots still aren’t very smart and this can lead to user frustration.
Why Enterprises Should Care: Labor Shortages
While some enterprises today may be frustrated with immature chatbot experiences, others are experiencing tremendous success because they’ve invested the time to develop and train their chatbot solutions. What enterprises need to realize is that labor shortages are looming on the horizon, and for many industries, those shortages are already here today. With the increasing demand for support, there are many roles that chatbots can be employed in to fill this gap and improve both employee engagement and customer experience.
Don’t Wait to Get Started with Chatbots
There are two primary challenges that enterprises must address to successfully deploy chatbots. The first is the need to select a robust conversational AI platform. Aragon Research is poised to help you with this dilemma, as we have extensive coverage of conversational AI technologies (see the recent Aragon Research Globe on Conversational AI). The second important factor is the need to design the experience beyond just having a conversation flow. Training the chatbot is a vital part of any successful rollout, without it you’ll only achieve the “A” half of AI.
Bottom Line
With the ever-increasing needs and demands for faster and seamless engagement with employees and customers there just aren’t enough people today to get it all done. This is why digital labor is coming to the rescue and enterprises need to prepare for this revolutionary move, where humans and computers work hand in hand conversationally.