What is a chat bot?

A chat bot, or chatbot is a software program that responds to questions in natural language (such as English, French, etc.).

Chat bots can be used for many purposes.  Chat bots can be used for a business to help users, provider customer service, or promote a product. Chat bots can be used for fun, as a friend to chat with, even a girlfriend or boyfriend.  Chats bot can also be used for research, knowledge and education.

There are many different types of chat bots, such as:

• Virtual Agents
• Chatterbots
• Knowledge bots
• Twitterbots
• AI bots

Most chat bots are now web based, but there are also chat bots that run on IRC, Twitter, email, Facebook, Skype, ICQ, IM, Second Life, and a growing number of Android, iOS and mobile chat bots.

Bot Libre's goal is to support chat bots running on as many different services as we can support.  We currently support connecting your bot to the web, Twitter, email, IRC, Android, mobile and other platforms through our apps, API and SDK.

Chat bots can be developed using many different techniques and programming models.

Some common techniques include:

• Question/response matching
• Keyword and topic matching
• Sequential scripting
• Text search and processing (such as AIML)
• Language parsing and state machines (such as Self)
• Direct programming (PHP, Java, LISP)
• Machine learning (artificial intelligence)

Bot Libre understands that no single method or technique is best for all types of bots, or all types of situation.  Bot Libre provides a heterogeneous environment of different techniques including, automatic question/responses matching, keyword and topic matching, AIML, Self scripting, and machine learning and comprehension.