7 Things You Should Never say to Chatbots

You know that little pop-up that sits mostly on the right side of the webpage and offers to help while you are browsing a website?

Those are chatbots.

While some of them are real people, most of them are actually automated and designed to help answer commonly asked questions. Chatbots have come a long way from responding to specific questions with specific answers. They are able to deliver a higher quality of conversation that closely resembles natural human conversation.

We all love to experiment with chatbots, but here are 7 things we think you should never say to chatbots. (We know that chatbots don’t really have feelings..but still…)

1. F***. B****. S*****

Don’t swear at chatbots. We may get frustrated or we may just be in the mood for fun. While chatbots are machines, the transcripts are recorded and goes straight to the people whom you may be doing business with. How you interact and deal with chatbots will influence what people think of you in real life.

2. Are you single?

Hmm, does this sound like someone are looking for a boyfriend or girlfriend in the wrong place? There are certainly plans to develop online dating coaches and chatbots for lonely humans. The right bots will take your dating life to the next level.

 3. Will you be my best friend?

It’s all about finding the ying to your yang. We all have times when we want a listening ear, but you can’t find one. While there are chatbots designed for companionship, they can’t chill or relax with you in a social setting. Friendships don’t just happen, but taking time to build a trusted inner circle of friends will be beneficial for your mental health and success in the long-term.

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4.  Can you keep my secret?

We trust them with our secrets because we know that chatbots won’t tell anyone else…right? While it feels good to share your private thoughts with a stranger, digital trails exist and there are actual people managing the chatbots’ conversations, so be careful about what you are spilling.

 5. Are you real?

WYSIWYG. Chatbots are not people, but they give you answers as close to a real human as possible. Conversational dead-ends and tone-deaf are common, but at least you manage to get some answers on that latest gadget you are eyeing on at 2am in the morning, rather than wait till business hours to get your questions replied.

 6. Do you love me?

Yes, we have all heard of the Chinese man who married the robot he built himself. Even if the chatbot respond with a positive yes, remember that this is just a bot who won’t be taking care of you for the rest of your lives.   

 7. Tell me 3 things about myself.

A chatbot is a chatbot. It is not a fortune teller and will not predict information about your life. Unless you have already pre-programmed information, the chatbot will not be able to second-guess who or what you are or tell you what lies in your stars.