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5 Myths About AI Chatbots That IT Leaders Should Know

Valerie Vancuren
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“Chatbots, AI assistants, conversational AI. Regardless of the ambiguous terminology, we’re entering a new era where users can have access to highly intelligent, contextual support. Support that’s available in seconds, responds 24/7, and can resolve issues in real-time.”

Carl Timperio, CTO at Cloud MSG

Artificial intelligent chatbots have gained popularity in the helpdesk industry for the past several years due to their ability to provide fast support, similar to a live agent. However, there are some common misunderstandings that surround these AI help desk assistants. This article aims to shed light on them and help better understand the capabilities, benefits, and myths behind chatbots.

Here’s five common misconceptions of AI chatbots.

Myth #1: Chatbots can’t handle complex requests

Support chatbots come in different shapes and sizes, with a wide range of abilities to help users. To put it simply, there are two types of AI chatbots: pre-programmed “dumb” bots and AI-enabled “smart bots.” Though both types use some form of AI, the latter is more advanced, as it can learn from past experiences and interactions.

Pre-programmed

These bots can only handle a very limited number of tasks and are incapable of learning or adapting. These generic chatbots work under the assumption that they will be able to handle all possible inquiries and usually do a very poor job at doing so. They have no knowledge of the context in which they are used, and serve users inaccurate and often frustrating results.

AI-enabled

These advanced conversational AI assistants are different in that they can learn from their interactions with humans, extract insights from conversations and make meaningful decisions as a result. They can also perform sentiment analysis, improve self-service rates and increase customer satisfaction.

They can go as far as understanding tone and speech cues through natural language processing to better answer the user, and self-learn from each interaction it has.

Myth #2: Chatbots are not ready for the enterprise

Chatbots of all kinds are here to stay. According to Acquire, over 1.4 billion people are already using chatbot support technology as of 2020. As one of the most widely discussed technologies in enterprise IT, chatbots have already proven to be a huge resource for companies looking to increase customer access and support, consolidate IT help desks, and automate tasks.

There are many good reasons for enterprise IT leaders, in particular, to look into AI powered chat assistants, with tangible benefits for both users and the organization. They can provide around-the-clock coverage, automate routine tasks, offload simpler issues from administration staff, and save money over time. The 24/7 availability means resolving the large majority of requests without a live support agent ever needing to get involved. This enables them to focus on more strategic and complex issues.

Myth #3: Chatbots are replacing IT support agents

There is some concern behind the idea that AI chatbots are replacing the jobs of IT support people. The truth is, these chatbots interact with users as a ‘first line of defense’, meaning that prior to connecting with a live agent, the problem is attempted to be completely resolved by the AI assistant. As a result, a much smaller percentage of users are escalated to a live agent.

The idea behind deploying helpdesk chatbots is that they can automate questions, while also augmenting an existing human workforce. Instead of replacing IT support jobs, AI is used to support their heavy workloads and reduce the number of escalated tickets.

Myth #4: Users are uncomfortable using virtual assistance

When companies first began the use of chatbots to assist users with common questions, some users may have had concerns or frustrations with the degree that the AI agent could help them. Users quickly lose trust if the chatbot is unable to help them or if it takes too long to get to the answer they were searching for.

Today’s users have become so accustomed to seeking information via automated means that the use of chatbots is rapidly becoming the natural choice for service and support on an enterprise level. However, the quality of response influences the level of comfort the users have in using the helpdesk chatbot. With artificial intelligence advancements and responses becoming more personalized and helpful, users often have a much more pleasant experience.

Myth #5: Implementation requires a large team

Many IT leaders are unsure of how to implement AI in their organizations because they aren’t sure if they have the right data, if their teams have the right skills, or if implementing chatbots will require more resources than their teams can handle.

However, implementing AI chat assistants doesn’t require a large team. You’ll need to assemble a small group within your team, and most importantly, a partner who has experience in managing AI implementations that can advise you on what type of technology is best for your company.

Final Thoughts

Although there are some misconceptions of the use of AI chatbots, this technology proves to be beneficial to companies seeking faster and higher quality support to their users. Businesses that employ this technology are already reaping its benefits, it’s time to consider implementing the technology in your own organization.

Need an AI partner?

Cloud MSG is a leader in managed IT services. We advise on AI and next-gen technology, build intelligent helpdesks, and manage the service delivery of them. In recent client projects, we have helped transform the entire IT support experience and automated the resolution of over 78% of all support requests with AI.

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