IMPACT COMMUNICATION
AND INNOVATION
AND INNOVATION
With the popularization of the technology, new platforms for creating conversational programs (bots), such as Sequel, prove that it is possible to work in the field without needing extensive technical knowledge. As a result, we are also seeing initiatives in areas like entertainment and customer service that have adapted chatbots to their digital channels. But are there also examples of how these bots have been applied for the benefit of the community?
Two weeks ago, I commented in this post about the work of the collective Pretalabin creating the feminist chatbot Beta, which operates on Facebook Messenger as a spokesperson for the fight to defend women's rights. Furthermore, last year, the Fundação Telefônica Vivo supported the development of the chatbot Deco aimed at entrepreneurs from underserved communities.
Using the same platform as Beta, the chatbot, part of the “Pense Grande” (Think Big) program, aims to stimulate entrepreneurship among young people aged 15 to 29. The project also features a series of ten videos that tell the stories of young residents of Campo Limpo, Grajaú, Capão Redondo, República, and other neighborhoods in the São Paulo metropolitan area.
According to Americo Mattar, president of the Fundação Telefônica Vivo, the idea behind Deco is to help young people recognize their own talent and vocation as leaders in their communities, thereby promoting initiatives that show that “it is possible to succeed with your own business, regardless of the reality in which you live.”
Just like Beta, Deco was also written to use language similar to how its target audience communicates, thus fostering a sense of identification. This also extends to the audiovisual campaign, which includes a call-to-action video featuring Mel Duarte, a poet who grew up in a São Paulo community and whose artistic project is based on poetic interventions in the capital's public transport system.
A recent report from the website Business Insider has brought together the main chatbot application channels, which include Facebook Messenger, Slack, and Telegram, as well as companies that have been hiring this type of service, such as CNN and Uber, while initiatives like GitHub and Shopify have been offering the feature for systems like iOS and Android.
Among the conclusions drawn by the study are:
But, as we already see here in Brazil, chatbots do not necessarily need to be linked only to commercial and service-sector initiatives. Researcher Alexandra Jayeun Lee explains in a articlecomprehensive piece on the importance of using non-profit chatbots that generate social impact.
According to her, NGOs should start considering chatbots as a new area of operation precisely because other user interface tools are very expensive. At the same time, chatbots can be used as a substitute for or a complement to sections like "Frequently Asked Questions" to reduce administrative burden. Finally, Lee emphasizes that chatbots can also create opportunities to raise the most challenging issues for organizations, as well as fill gaps not covered on a website, for example.
Outside of Brazil, initiatives like Botler AI, from the startup Botler, have been helping immigrants navigate the legal procedures required for immigration. Created by Iranian software engineer Amir Morajev in partnership with Canadian computer scientist Yoshua Bengio, the bot uses pioneering natural language translation techniques studied by the pair. “I knew this was an idea we needed to take to the next level. I want AI to be developed toward a positive social impact, and this is a place where beneficial AI should happen,” says.
Furthermore, other examples of chatbots have also proven capable of providing support to Syrian refugees, by creating a channel of silence and contemplation for the millions of Chinese people living in extremely populous cities, as well as Australianswho needed help accessing state benefits offered to people with disabilities.
In the case of Woebot, this type of support and counseling is provided directly to the user, who becomes a patient. Created by a team of psychologists and artificial intelligence experts from Stanford, the bot uses routine conversations, mood tracking, curated videos, and word games to help users manage their mental health. After a year of development and research, Woebot was launched with a monthly subscription option for those interested.
Similarly, though free of charge, the chatbot Replika learns by talking to the user and reflecting their personality and conversational style, so that they can see their own behavior and attitudes in the program. It is in this sense of self-discovery, but also of companionship and even affection, that chatbots can play a role in people's lives, as proposed in the Spike Jonze film, Her(2013).
