Domain-Specific Bots vs. Generic Bots

In this technological era, a new tool has made the interaction between computers and humans simpler: Chatbots. These bots are artificially intelligent software that allows companies to simulate a conversation with users in natural language. Recent research by SmallBizGenius confirms that chatbots cut up to 30% of operational costs!

This article will discuss the two main categories of chatbots: generic bots and domain-specific bots. We will also discuss which type of AI bots are more effective. 

So let’s begin!

What is a Generic Bot?

A generic chatbot is the one that streamlines interaction between users and services in a generic way to cover maximum areas for enhancing customer experience. These bots are very much like Google or Siri; you can ask any query, and it answers. At Stackoverflow, for instance, generic bots are employed to help in moderation tasks. So when a question occurs, you can communicate with SOBotics to get a general answer. 

What is a Domain-Specific Bot?

Domain-specific bots only possess knowledge on a specific industry, be it medical, automotive, or finance. These bots hold in-depth expertise for the industry and understand the terminologies used within that particular domain. For instance, a chatbot on a hospital’s website can help you with symptoms of a heart attack. Such interaction helps both patients and doctors in saving time.

Which is more effective in developing domain-specific AI bots instead of generic ones?

Now that we have understood the working of both types of chatbots. Let’s discuss which AI chatbots are more practical to develop:

1. Targeting Businesses: Generic bots target more businesses through generic QnA interactions, which is excellent for small businesses. But when it comes to the in-depth requirement of one company, they cannot cater to customer dealing due to lack of data. 
2. Intelligence and Vocabulary:  Domain-specific data is the primary source of intelligence of bots. Mixing various domain data obfuscates the meaning of data attributes. For instance, ‘apple’ may mean fruit in the understanding of generic bot. But a domain-specific tech website bot will know that the user is talking about the brand ‘apple.’
3. Prioritizing Customers: Generic bots usually try to cover and serve all users at once; therefore, no user feels like they are the priority, hence leading to poor customer service.

Final Words

As the general comparison shows, domain-specific bots are more effective as they focus on prioritizing customers and interacting with in-depth knowledge. In the auto dealership industry, for instance, domain-specific bots are aware that when people ask for “rates,” they refer to lease/finance rates, but in the housing industry, the same term refers to the mortgage rates. 

Companies like DealerAI understand that customers often require domain-specific interactions. So, they have explicitly programmed the AI bot for car dealerships. With their industry-first AI chatbots, the audience can get speedy, accurate, and consistent responses according to their queries.