Discover what a Chatbot is, how it compares to AI voice agents, and why understanding the difference matters when automating customer interactions.
A Chatbot is a software application designed to simulate conversation with users, typically through text-based interfaces like websites, messaging apps, or mobile apps.
Chatbots use predefined scripts, decision trees, or AI models to respond to user inputs, answering questions, collecting information, or guiding users through basic workflows. They range from simple menu-driven bots to sophisticated AI systems capable of handling dynamic, multi-turn conversations.
While chatbots and AI voice agents share core technologies (like NLP and intent detection), the key difference is the communication channel.
Chatbots communicate via written text.
Voice agents communicate via spoken conversation over the phone.
AI voice agents must handle real-time voice recognition challenges like accents, background noise, and live interruptions, which text-based chatbots don’t face.
When deployed correctly, chatbots help companies:
Automate customer support at scale via web and mobile interfaces
Deflect routine inquiries away from live human agents
Qualify leads before handing them off to sales teams
Provide 24/7 availability for self-service, no matter time zone or staffing levels
User Input
A customer types a question into a website chat widget (“What’s your return policy?”).
Intent Recognition
The chatbot matches the question to a stored intent (e.g., “return policy inquiry”).
Response Generation
The bot delivers a scripted response, or, if AI-powered, dynamically generates a reply.
Escalation (if needed)
If the chatbot can’t resolve the query, it can escalate the conversation to a live agent or offer additional help channels.
An e-commerce brand uses a chatbot to handle post-purchase support. Customers can track orders, process returns, and access FAQs all without needing to call in or wait for an email response.
In omnichannel customer strategies, chatbots and AI voice agents work together, handling different parts of the customer journey across digital and voice channels, creating faster, smarter, and more scalable service ecosystems.
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