Conversational AI
Conversational AI is concerned with the development of software systems that can engage in conversational interactions with humans.
Conversational systems are known by various names, including: dialogue systems, voice user interfaces, conversational agents, and chatbots.
Recent publications
McTear, M. Conversational AI: Dialogue Systems, Conversational Agents, and Chatbots
McTear, M., Callejas, Z., Griol, D. The Conversational Interface: Talking to Smart Devices
McTear, M. The Rise of the Conversational Interface: A New Kid on the Block?
McTear, M. Conversation modelling for chatbots: current approaches and future directions
Projects in Conversational AI
AI Assist
AI Assist was developed in a Fusion-funded project between Ulster University and Maverick Communications International. Ai Assist, which was developed using the RASA open source framework, supports business-to-business lead generation conversations online. AI Assist deals with lower level interactions and acts as a first point of contact between a business and potential clients, giving the employees of the business the freedom to focus on the most qualified leads.
Verbal Arts Centre
The aim of this KTP-funded project between Ulster University and the Verbal Arts Centre was to extend the shared reading bibliotherapy intervention called Reading Rooms by developing a new digital, chatbot-based technology platform called Wellread (Storyteller).
Wellread is a web app based platform based on Dialogflow with a content management system used for story curation.
Publications
McAllister, P. et al. Reading Rooms: A Chatbot Guided Bibliotherapy Service
McAllister, P. et al. Towards Chatbots to Support Bibliotherapy Preparation and Delivery
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