UC Today were fortunate enough to attend IP EXPO this year, where we were among the first to learn about some of the upcoming technology in the UC space and discover what IT leaders can expect from the years ahead. One of the most important “hot topics” to consider lately has been the use of AI and chatbots in Unified Communications, an area that Daniel Yin covered in his talk within the AI theatre.
We caught up with Daniel after his speech to talk a little more about RingCentral, chatbots, and where he thinks the world of AI in unified communications might be heading.
How Do You Think the Audience Responded to your Talk?
As an expert in UC, cloud communications, and emerging technologies, Daniel Yin was possibly the perfect person to lead the discussion around AI and chatbots on the behalf of RingCentral this year at IP EXPO. I was interested to find out how he felt the talk had gone, as AI is often considered to be a pretty intimidating topic:
“There’s so much potential around AI, and as communication is one of the most important elements for any business, companies always want to make sure that they have the latest and best tools. AI is obviously one of the most innovative strategies on the market, particularly in the areas of sentiment analysis, and chatbots. In terms of response, I think there are two ways that people generally react to AI, the first is with absolute excitement and eagerness, while the second response is more sceptical.”
While it’s true that some people are thrilled by the concept of AI in UC, other companies aren’t sure just how innovative this new technology can really be. Daniel used his talk to address not only the big areas of AI like contextual communications but the simpler areas that can make life easier for companies too, such as intelligent notifications and alerts. “I think people are starting to recognise more of the possibilities of AI, and what it can really do.”
Do You Think Chatbots are Becoming More Mainstream?
Obviously, it seems that the unified communications landscape is changing today more rapidly than ever before. That was clearly something that seemed to persist as a theme at IP EXPO. I wondered whether Daniel Yin and RingCentral were starting to see chatbots as a more “mainstream” technology.
“I think that a lot of people see AI as this all-seeing tool for digital assistance. While that’s true to an extent, it also plays a big role behind the scenes too, making things simpler for everyone. Of course, the other side of the coin is the chatbot world, where automated bots are quickly becoming a more natural part of everyday life. While they’re not perfect yet, we’re already seeing examples of bots being used to take over tasks that can be automated, and free up time for people in the workforce.”
What has RingCentral Done with AI So Far?
While I was sure that we would be seeing plenty more innovation from RingCentral in the future, I was also interested to go back into what RingCentral has accomplished with the AI marketplace so far, particularly in relation to Glip, Daniel told me:
“What Glip offers is this fantastic interface which you can use to interact with anyone in the workforce, colleagues, customers, or whatever. What we’ve done is overlay chatbots into Glip in two different ways. In the first way, you can interact directly with the bot and ask them questions, or tell them to give you information about the status of a case, or the best-performing cases.”
“The second way you can use chatbots in Glip is through a more active model, where the bot starts to learn what you’re interested in and send you notifications based on your requirements. Those interactions can be interlaced with the collaboration side of things too. That means that bots can see when you’re working collaboratively with someone, and implement notifications relevant to both people in the environment.”
What Does the Future Look Like for RingCentral?
As AI becomes a more integral part of the UC environment, I feel that we’re starting to see a world where applications can become more contextual, predicting what you need, and improving productivity one step at a time. I wanted to know what RingCentral’s vision of the future with AI was, and where they were headed next.
In terms of the future for RingCentral, Yin said: “If we look very far into the future, my hope is that we’ll be able to revolutionize the way that you interact with your collaboration systems entirely, potentially replacing visual UIs with dynamic and verbal UIs that respond to what you want naturally.”
“Of course, that’s very far in the future, and right now, we’re not actually looking at making interfaces entirely AI based, however, what we are doing, is looking for ways to use AI to improve everyday use cases consistently with the right tools. By pulling machine learning into things like contact centres, and communication, we’ll begin to see that AI starts to simplify connections, and deliver more productivity throughout the workforce.”
