'Alexa, what's conversational AI?': The role of virtual assistants in the workplace

Modern technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning are helping businesses better understand their customers. But an increasing number of organizations are now looking to these tools to help them better serve those customers, and even support and retain valuable employees.

According to a recent survey by PwC, "improving customer experiences" was the most valuable way for organizations to embrace AI in 2022, and nearly 80% of CEOs have changed or intend to change how they manage client engagement using conversational AI tools, according to technology company Accenture.

"More and more enterprises are looking to deliver intelligent, micro-experiences to consumers, but doing this at scale is a challenge — which is where conversational AI comes into play," says Gaurav Kachhawa, chief product officer of conversational engagement platform Gupshup. "Conversational AI solutions help companies connect and establish personalized, contextual and interactive experiences with customers and employees in real-time."

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Unlike traditional forms of AI which include programs and systems that handle administrative tasks, conversational AI refers to any and all kinds of chatbots and virtual assistants, like the Siris and Alexas of the world.

That kind of automated back-and-forth communication has already changed the way brands market their products, enable commerce and even delivery support services, whether via voice, video or text conversations. In fact, the amount of interactions handled by conversational agents increased by as much as 250% across industries since the pandemic, according to consulting company Gartner. 

"Businesses now use conversational AI platforms like Gupshup to develop chatbots that can help connect and engage with consumers in real-time on frequently used platforms," Kachhawa says. "Consumers can ask questions, purchase products and services, or access support using applications like WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger." 

These tools also present an opportunity to better understand employees, an appealing value proposition in a tough labor market in which employers are desperate to create more personalized work experiences for their employees. By integrating chat functionality onto internal company platforms, as an example, organizations can create another way to gather hyper-specific feedback from employees, and even start to understand pain points that are slowing down their workflow or blocking productivity. That, Kachhawa says, is in stark contrast to the staid surveys and feedback forms that predated smart chat capabilities. 

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"There [should be] enough feedback in these surveys to build customized journeys right from onboarding, appraisal to exit," Kachhawa says. "But there may be situations where there's [not enough] employee data to create something worthwhile." 

Instead, passively accumulating data and insights based on multiple interactions (without any additional lift from employees)  makes it easier for companies to spot trends and make actionable changes based on those findings. But despite the benefits, Kachhawa urges organizations to embrace and implement these tools with a slow and steady approach..

"A lot of businesses think of AI as an all or nothing proposition," he says. "The best way to build AI-powered customer experiences is to use a hybrid approach, where AI handles what it can with high confidence and escalates the rest to a human employee."