The Evolution of Chatbots: From ELIZA to Siri to ChatGPT
Chatbots might seem like a fairly new technology because of the recent popularity of models like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Copilot. However, the earliest chatbot can be traced back to the 1960s, a time when punch cards and bulky mainframe computers were the trending tech.
Many years later, chatbots are now superior with capabilities that earlier models could only dream about. Most industries have adopted them, and chances are, you probably engage with one every day. So let’s have a quick history lesson on how chatbots evolved.
Basic Chatbots
The first generation of chatbots was rule-based, using decision trees and keyword recognition capabilities to create scripted responses. Although they weren’t very adaptable, they provided the foundation that shaped modern chatbots.
- ELIZA
Created in 1966 by MIT professor Joseph Weizenbaum, ELIZA was the first-ever chatbot. The name comes from the lead character in George Bernard Shaw’s play, Pygmalion, and the platform used pattern matching and substitution methodology to simulate conversations.
ELIZA mimicked human conversation by rephrasing user inputs as statements or questions. So conversations seemed human but you could quickly pick that they lacked depth. One of its famous scripts was called ‘Doctor’, and it took the role of an empathetic psychologist.
- Parry
In 1972, Stanford psychiatrist Kenneth Colby developed an interesting chatbot that imitated a person with paranoid schizophrenia. The program used a system of assumptions and attributions to simulate emotional responses. Colby’s chatbot showed the potential of natural language processing in understanding psychiatric diagnoses.
- Jabberwacky
British programmer, Rollo Carpenter, created the Jabberwacky chatbot in 1988, which could simulate human conversation naturally and entertainingly. The platform is one of the first models to use natural language processing rather than scripted responses through its contextual pattern-matching algorithm.
- A.L.I.C.E. (Artificial Linguistic Internet Computer Entity)
ALICE was developed by Richard Wallace in 1995 and was initially called Alicebot. The program, which used pattern matching, took the persona of a young woman and could tell you of her age, hobbies, and other interesting facts. ALICE was such a great invention that it won the Loebner prize thrice for the most humanlike chatbot.
- SmarterChild
SmarterChild was launched by ActiveBuddy but was later bought by Microsoft in 2001 and integrated into the messaging platforms AOL Instant Messenger and MSN Messenger. Besides chatting with users, SmarterChild could also provide quick access to data such as current events, weather updates, and general trivia.
Conversational Chatbots
The 2010s were a turning point for chatbots. Thanks to Apple’s Siri, we were first introduced to voice-activated assistants. Other virtual assistants during that time included Amazon’s Alexa and Google’s Google Assistant.
These models used advanced natural language processing and machine learning to process voice commands and learn from their user’s past interactions.
- Siri
Apple’s Siri was launched in 2011 and was the first-ever intelligent personal assistant that responded to voice commands. The technology, which was AI-powered, could have human-like conversations with users and help them with tasks such as calling, messaging, scheduling, and navigation.
- Google Now/ Google Assistant
Seeing Siri’s success, Google launched Google Now in 2012 to rival their competitor and even featured a similar female-voiced assistant. Google Now focused on getting users real-time information based on their location and time of the day. In 2016, Google Now was replaced by a more powerful chatbot, Google Assistant, a virtual assistant with more functionality.
- Alexa
Amazon debuted Alexa in 2014 which was built into company devices like the Amazon Echo Dot, Echo Studio, Echo Show, and the Amazon Tap. With only your voice, you can play your favorite music, search the web, set alarms, check the weather, create to-do lists, and control your smart-home Amazon devices. All you have to say is, “Alexa, what’s the weather” or “Alexa, play music” and she’ll gladly do it.
Generative AI Chatbots
Generative AI chatbots are the latest and most advanced models in this technology because of their complex natural language processing and machine learning capabilities. The models are trained on massive data sets and can perform intricate tasks.
In healthcare, these chatbots can assess symptoms and give reminders on medications, while in the supply chain, they can check inventory and boost order tracking, among other functions. However, generative AI chatbots have become even more popular in customer support services.
Sectors like casino gaming have embraced AI chatbots. Most real money casinos now support such chatbots to provide help 24/7. Gaming experiences have become more optimized thanks to AI chatbots that help with queries at any time.
- ChatGPT
ChatGPT was the first generative AI chatbot to bring much attention to the space since it was launched in 2022 by OpenAI. The large language model, which is quite popular and is practically talked about every day, generates impressive human-like conversations, offers language translation, and performs many other tasks thanks to its enhanced natural language processing.
The latest version, ChatGPT-4 is even more advanced with complex algorithms trained on bigger data sets. Its answers are more precise and can cover a wider range of topics.
- Gemini
Google’s Gemini was launched in 2023 but was initially known as Google Bard. The platform, which almost has a similar interface to ChatGPT, will help you generate creative texts, engage in seamless conversations and translate texts in real time. Gemini’s unique aspect is its multimodal capabilities that allow it to analyze different types of data like text, code, image, audio, and video.
Other generative AI models competing for the number one spot in this latest trend include Claude 3, Jasper Chat, Grok, and Microsoft’s Copilot.