Goodbye conversational AI and hello generative AI?

A 75-year-old scientist referred to as ‘the grandfather of artificial intelligence’ says humanity may be a passing phase in the evolution of intelligence that gives way to the digital brilliance of machines. — © AFP STRINGER

According to Max Lipovetsky generative AI stands to reduce NLU based conversational AI. What will this mean for business interest? The likely outcome is that organizations will prioritize customer experience over cloud migration investments.

Max Lipovetsky, Chief Product Officer at Cyara. He has explained what is likely to happen in terms of the main technological predictions that are set to occur in 2024.

Generative AI will kill NLU based conversational AI

Goodbye conversational AI? Lipovetsky thinks this is possible, noting: “In 2024, conversational AI will witness a ground-breaking shift from Natural Language Understanding (NLU) technology to generative AI.”

The main difference between generative AI (GAI) and conversational AI (CAI) is that generative AI produces original content and creations when prompted, while conversational AI specialises in holding authentic and useful two-way interactions with humans by understanding and responding in text or speech.

Exploring this further, Lipovetsky states: “While NLU bots initially seemed promising, their limitations and particularly the cost of deployment and maintenance has become very apparent. The focus will shift towards deeper integration of Large Language Models (LLMs) into conversational AI, dramatically improving customer satisfaction while at the same time decreasing downtime to deploy and greatly improving total cost of operation.”

NLU enables computers to understand the sentiments expressed in a natural language used by humans, such as English, French or Mandarin, and the ability to combine this with generative AI is set to change the way communications technology evolves.

Organizations will prioritize customer experience over cloud migration investments

With his second key production, Lipovetsky foresees a return to putting the customer at the centre of digital transformation. With this regard he expects: “As organizations shifted from on-premise to the cloud, many sacrificed functionality, simplifying customer experiences. However, in 2024, a significant shift will unfold. Companies will pivot from solely focusing on technology migration to investing heavily in transforming customer experiences.”

Has to how this customer facting process will develop, Lipovetsky notes: “This will mark an era of unparalleled innovation aimed at reshaping how customers interact with products and services. We can expect a surge in creative strategies and novel approaches to elevate customer experiences, surpassing the limitations imposed during the cloud migration phase.”