A chatbot is software you can talk to in text or voice; modern AI chatbots use large language models to understand requests and write natural replies.
In plain words
Early chatbots followed scripts: they spotted keywords and returned canned answers. AI chatbots use language models, so they can handle open-ended questions, keep track of the conversation and write replies. They can also state wrong things confidently, especially outside what they know, which is why good ones cite sources or connect to trusted data.
A quick example
You ask a chatbot to plan a three-day trip on a small budget. It asks where you are starting from, then drafts a day-by-day plan. When you say you dislike museums, it rewrites the plan, remembering the earlier details.
Where you'll meet it
- Assistants such as ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini.
- Customer service on websites and in apps.
Related
Sources
- DocsWhat is a chatbot?, IBM Think · read 29 Sept 2026
- DocsUse Gemini Apps, Gemini Apps Help (Google) · read 29 Sept 2026
Checked by WhatIsAI against the sources above · 29 Sept 2026. Spotted an error? Report it.