The terms virtual agents and chatbots are used interchangeably today, however they are not the same thing. Most importantly, there are many types of chatbots. The most basic chatbot usually offers solutions from a knowledge base and can execute simple rule-based flows. However, there are also AI-enabled chatbots that can play the role of an online customer service agent and engage in more complex workflows.
On the other hand, virtual agents are powered with artificial intelligence, machine learning, deep neural networks, and natural language understanding, and are thus capable of mimicking a human customer service agent. This technology enables a virtual agent to continuously learn from conversations, and provide responses that are attuned to your customers’ language. Virtual agents are also capable of understanding customer intent, providing personalized and accurate solutions, and troubleshooting customer issues.