Abstract
The paper considers whether is it possible to view interactions with so-called conversational agents (chatbots, voice assistants, etc.) as a form of conversation. It is argued here that such conversational agents are conversational in a proper sense. To justify this conclusion, the analysis of the beginnings of 100 calls to a Russian municipal call center, processed by a chatbot, is conducted. The revealed features of the inquiry formulations, silences, and overlaps at the beginning of the calls show that users deal with the chatbot as a conversational partner and not as a voice user interface. It is proposed that to call an interaction a “conversation,” it is enough that at least one co-participant (the weak participation requirement) is able to understand all the turns in the interaction (the strong analyzability requirement) as part of the ongoing conversation.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Social Interaction. Video-Based Studies of Human Sociality
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
