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Chatbots that do more than chat

There is a move toward AI "agents" that take actions on users' behalf rather than just regurgitate information.
(David Espejo/Getty Images)
There is a move toward AI "agents" that take actions on users' behalf rather than just regurgitate information. (David Espejo/Getty Images)

The recent appearance of an advanced new chatbot has some AI watchers speculating who could be behind it. The new ‘gpt2-chatbot’ arrives at a time when many engineers are building chatbots that do more than chat. There is a move toward AI “agents” that take actions on users’ behalf rather than just regurgitate information. The potential benefits are large, but so are the risks.

Here & Now‘s Robin Young speaks with AI contributor Ina Fried, chief technology correspondent at Axios.

This article was originally published on WBUR.org.

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