Conversational AI vs RPA: Which Automation Technology is Right for Your Business?
As technology continues to advance, businesses are looking for ways to automate their processes to save time, money, and increase efficiency. Conversational AI and Robotic Process Automation (RPA) are two technologies that have gained significant attention in recent years. While they both serve the purpose of automating tasks, they differ in their approach and application. In this article, we will explore the differences and similarities between conversational AI and RPA and provide real-life business examples of their use.
What is Conversational AI?
Conversational AI is a technology that enables machines to communicate with humans in natural language. It uses natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning (ML) algorithms to understand and respond to human queries and commands. Conversational AI can be used for a variety of tasks such as customer service, virtual assistants, chatbots, and voice assistants.
One example of conversational AI in use is the virtual assistant Siri developed by Apple. Siri can answer questions, set reminders, and perform tasks based on voice commands. Another example is the chatbot developed by Domino’s Pizza, which can take orders, track deliveries, and answer customer queries.
What is RPA?
Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is a technology that automates repetitive and rule-based tasks. It uses software robots or bots to mimic human actions and interact with applications and systems. RPA can be used for a variety of tasks such as data entry, invoice processing, and customer support.
One example of RPA in use is at Deutsche Bank, where they implemented RPA to automate the process of opening new accounts. This involved extracting data from various sources, filling out forms, and updating multiple systems. By using RPA, they were able to reduce the time it takes to open a new account from weeks to just a few days, resulting in significant time and cost savings.
Differences between Conversational AI and RPA:
The main difference between conversational AI and RPA is in their approach to automation. Conversational AI uses natural language processing and machine learning to understand and respond to human queries, while RPA uses software robots to automate repetitive and rule-based tasks.
Another difference is in their application. Conversational AI is mainly used for customer service, virtual assistants, chatbots, and voice assistants, while RPA is used for a variety of tasks such as data entry, invoice processing, and customer support.
Similarities between Conversational AI and RPA:
Despite their differences, conversational AI and RPA share some similarities. Both technologies aim to automate tasks and reduce the workload on humans. They also both have the potential to save time and money while increasing efficiency and accuracy.
Real-life business examples of using Conversational AI and RPA together:
While conversational AI and RPA have different applications, they can be used together to enhance automation. For example, a financial services company can use conversational AI to answer customer queries and RPA to automate back-end processes such as data entry and invoice processing.
Another example is in the healthcare industry, where conversational AI can be used to schedule appointments and answer patient queries while RPA can be used to automate the process of updating patient records and sending reminders.
Conclusion:
In conclusion, conversational AI and RPA are two technologies that can help businesses automate their processes and increase efficiency. While they have different approaches and applications, they can be used together to enhance automation. Businesses should evaluate their needs and goals to determine which technology is best suited for their specific use case. With the right implementation, conversational AI and RPA can help businesses save time and money while improving customer satisfaction and employee productivity.