Chatbot Conference 2018: Enterprise Adoption Begins, AI Ethics & Privacy Come to Surface

San Francisco | September 19, 2018

Jul 24, 2024

The Chatbot Conference 2018 in San Francisco was a landmark event that highlighted the latest advancements and future directions in the field of conversational AI.

Building upon the success of the inaugural 2017 conference, this event brought together an impressive lineup of speakers and industry leaders to explore the rapidly evolving world of chatbots, voice assistants, and AI technologies.

The conference showcased the latest trends, insights, and innovations, providing attendees with valuable knowledge and practical applications in the chatbot ecosystem.

The event featured over 30 top speakers from leading tech companies such as Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, IBM, and innovative startups like Dashbot, Assist, and OctaneAI. These industry experts shared their knowledge on a wide range of topics, providing attendees with valuable insights into the chatbot ecosystem.

The conference covered several key topics:

Ecosystem Overview: Providing a top-down view of successful chatbot implementations, with insights from Facebook, Dashbot, and BotAnalytics.
Enterprise Use Cases: Exploring how brands and enterprises are leveraging chatbots to deliver ROI.
Voice Technology: Examining the emergence of voice assistants like Alexa and Google Home, with case studies from companies like The Mars Agency and Pullstring.
Bot Design and User Experience: Discussing best practices for creating engaging and effective chatbot interfaces.
Funding Environment: Insights into what investors are looking for in the chatbot space.
Monetization and Discovery: Strategies for marketing and monetizing chatbots.
Emerging Technologies: Exploring how chatbots are integrating with new technologies like blockchain, AR/VR, and Facebook's Augmented Reality feature for Messenger.

Check out the Full Agenda and Speakers here.

Among the many insightful talks, three stood out for their visionary content and practical implications:

1. Keynote: Bots & Blockchain: New Way for Builders, Designers, and Companies to Come Together

Nathan Shedroff delivered an inspiring keynote on how blockchain technology can revolutionize the way users manage their data.

He envisioned a future where individuals could upload, own, and control their data, deciding who and what apps to share it with.

This talk touched on crucial issues like digital identity, privacy, and content copyright in the age of AI, making it highly relevant today as these topics gain more attention.

2. AI & NLP: Latest Developments with RASA

Alex Weidauer, CEO of Rasa, shared his model of the 5 Stages of AI development, providing a framework to track the progress and capabilities of AI agents.

This talk was particularly valuable for understanding where we stand in AI development and what the future holds for natural language processing (NLP) technologies.

3. Connect with Customers: Messaging That Works

Rob Lawson from Google discussed how the company was integrating AI into its messaging and mapping services. He shared insights on the potential of AI to enhance customer interactions and improve service delivery.

A year later, Google and Bing experimented with chatbots on Maps and search engine results pages (SERPs), and today, Google's AI can answer questions via Search Generative Experience (SGE).

Featured Videos

Nathan Shedroff’s “How Bots and the Blockchain can solve Privacy & Data Ownership with Nathan Shedroff Chatbots Life”

AI & NLP: Latest Developments with RASA

The Challenge and Future of Trusted Bots with Mark Stephen Meadows from Botanic Technologies

Google’s vision for AI back in 2018

Assist was a hot startup back in 2018. They created a Chatbot for 1-800-Flowers and began introducing the technology at live sporting events. Imagine ordering a hotdog and a beer by talking to AI.