September 10, 2020 
With the proliferation of chatbots in recent years, there has been an increasing desire by users to find out how to know if they are chatting with a chatbot.
Chatbots are highly intelligent, and with bots like Zebrabuzz that combine Machine Language, Semantic Comprehension, and Natural Language processing to simulate conversations, it has become increasingly difficult for users to know if they are chatting with a bot.
It is common knowledge that chatbots are now taking over online and digital marketing as representatives for both small and large scale businesses.
With this new development in innovative marketing technology, comes the increasing likelihood that you may be chatting with a chatbot whenever you message a business.
It is therefore expected to be interested in trying to find out how you know if you are chatting with a chatbot.
There are different types of chatbots; however, it is pretty easy to know when you are chatting with chatbots that are not AI-Powered or very intelligent.
Chatbots like decision-tree or rule-based bot are easier to identify as they are programmed and work exactly like a chatbot.
These kinds of chatbots usually ask questions followed by multiple choice answers, meaning you are not at liberty to have a conversation with them using your own words.
It gets trickier when the chatbot is AI-Powered.
AI stands for artificial learning, and chatbots like Zebrabuzz are capable of learning and adapting on their own.
By combining machine language with semantic comprehension and natural language processing, it becomes difficult to differentiate a chatbot from a human representative.
While there are some tactics you can employ to know if you are chatting with a chatbot, there also some obvious signs and pointers that you can take note of when you message a business.
Read: What is a Facebook Messenger Chatbot?
Signs To Know You are Chatting with a Chatbot
Response is Speedy
Chatbots are quick to respond. They have been programmed already, so all they need to do is reply to you immediately they get a response.
While it is possible to find a customer care representative who can be fast, there is an obvious disparity in the time it takes a human to process and replies a user’s query than that of a chatbot.
When having a conversation with a company and you discover the replies are coming in faster than usual, especially replies to questions that should normally take time to process, you may be chatting with a chatbot.
Repeat Answers
There are some responses in chatbot programming that has more than one trigger. Responses could also take similar patterns all the time.
This is most common with chatbots that are not AI-Powered.
Doesn’t Speak Naturally
As opposed to intelligent chatbots like Zebrabuzz that are AI-Powered, Rule-based chatbots will reply to you in a matter that may not be considered natural.
A real human representative will most likely speak with using a lot of sentences and fragments, compared to very short and concise sentences of chatbots.
When the reply you are getting looks ‘programmed’, you may be chatting with a chatbot.
Awkward Syntax
Another sign that allows you to know if you are chatting with a chatbot is when the replies have an awkward or weird syntax.
When these syntax errors are regular and constant, you most likely are chatting with a chatbot.
This syntax could be due to an error in programming. Some of these indicators include double spacing, bizarre indentations, and extra full stops.
Sending Newsletters and Links Without Asking
Another good way to know if you are chatting with a chatbot is by looking out for unsolicited links, newsletters, and offers.
When you are having a conversation with a business representative, and they keep trying to refer you to a link you did not specifically ask for, or sharing newsletters, and letting you know about offers, you may be chatting with a chatbot.
Some other signs that show you may be chatting with a chatbot include, apologising for inability to speak your language fluently beforehand, uses too many similar characters, always trying to advertise, and many more.
If you are chatting with a bot that was placed there, so you will not know it is a bot, it will most likely apologise to you beforehand that it has some restrictions like language.
This makes you more apologetic if it makes an error or speaks the wrong grammar.
Now that you know some cogent signs that let you know when you are chatting with a bot, there are some tactics you can employ to out a chatbot.
AI-Powered chatbots are very intelligent, and it is very tricky when trying to find out if they are bots as they have the capabilities of using natural language and machine learning.
However, they are bots and not humans, and since they have been programmed, there are things they still won’t understand.
To be sure and know you are chatting with a chatbot, here are some ways you can find out.
Read: How do Chatbots Know How to Respond?
Ways to Out a Chatbot
Ask Weird or Out-of-Place Questions
One way to be sure you are having a conversation with a chatbot is by asking some very weird questions that have no bearing with what the chat is about.
You will know you are chatting with a chatbot when he or she cannot answer questions that are different from what the chat or business is about.
Take the following questions and messages into consideration:
- I’m having a really bad day, how’s your day been?
- You sound like my mother.
- What are the colours of your shoes?
- What are your dreams?
- Do you feel sick when you eat beans?
The key to asking these kinds of questions or sending these messages is focussing on ‘the person’. The person is not a human, but chat and ask questions concerning ‘the person’ you are chatting with.
Use Short forms, abbreviations, or slangs
A quick way to know if you are chatting with a chatbot is by just typing ‘hmm’, or ‘lol’, or ‘uhmmm’.
Most chatbots get confused when you chat using onomatopoeia, slang or short-forms.
Discuss Current Affairs
Another smart move is to discuss current happenings around the world. Asking about major events that just occurred will confuse chatbots, and they may not know how to respond.
Other ways to know if you are chatting with a chatbot is by being sarcastic, asking to see a video, asking them to talk about themselves and what they like and do not like.
While chatbots are very intelligent, employing one of the above ways and taking note of the above signs will help you know if you are chatting with a chatbot.
