Are you mad talking to a chatbot / ABC WA Drive
Last week the tech world went berserk when it was believed that Facebook chatbots (a computer program designed to simulate conversation with human users) appeared to make up their own language and start plotting to take over the world – as usual the hype was great, the truth far less interesting, the bots were actually never programmed to speak or converse in any particular language so they were just sending random message to each other, but it was enough to get ABC Perth’s Barry Nichols to want to chat about all things Bot in our weekly catch up.
We began by exploring what a Bot is and our most common ones at this stage are still the hotel or airline web page that pops up with a box at the bottom so you can talk to an agent (who often is not human). We looked at some really interesting uses of Bots in mental health, a story of a programmer who upon learning of his fathers imminent death set about building a Dad Bot containing his fathers conversations (recorded) and words of wisdom that he now regularly talks to.
For me it’s not so much about what a Bot is today, but rather that it points to a near world in which we use natural language and gestures to engage with technology and where it not only listens to our express wishes but also tries to determine our implied wishes communicating both back to us using a human persona.
So for all things bot, have a listen now to two humans having a chat about what might be chatting to us in the near future
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the real significance of chatbots?
Not the chatbots themselves — which are limited, often frustrating, and frequently wrong — but what they signal: the beginning of natural language as the primary interface between humans and technology. That shift is profound. It changes who can use technology, and how.
Q: Why do most chatbots fail to meet expectations?
Because they are built to deflect rather than resolve. Most enterprise chatbots are cost-saving tools disguised as service improvements. Customers recognise this immediately. The Immediate Future™ is AI that genuinely understands context and intent — and that bar is much higher than current implementations reach.
Q: What comes after chatbots?
Genuinely intelligent conversational agents that understand context, remember history, and handle complexity without scripted fallback paths. The technology is developing rapidly. Organisations that invest in understanding the direction of travel will build better foundations than those chasing the current state.
Q: Can Morris Misel speak about AI, conversational technology, and the future of human-machine interaction?
Yes. For keynotes on AI and intelligent systems, visit morrismisel.com/event-organisers.
Last week the tech world went berserk when it was believed that Facebook chatbots (a computer program designed to simulate conversation with human users) appeared to make up their own language and start plotting to take over the world – as usual the hype was great, the truth far .
When signals like Are you mad talking to a chatbot / ABC WA Drive emerge, organisations that engage early have the advantage of choosing their response rather than reacting to events. That gap between those who prepared and those who did not is where competitive positioning is actually made or lost.
The most important question is not whether Are you mad talking to a chatbot / ABC WA Drive will matter, but how quickly it will matter in your specific context. Leaders benefit most from mapping the ripple effects early — not just the direct impact but the second and third-order consequences that arrive later and hit harder. That is the practical work of foresight.
