Problem Description

Chatbots are increasingly used in many application domains such as customer service (e.g., Vodafone TOBi), healthcare (e.g., Replika), and e-government (e.g., Berlin’s chatbot Bobbi). However, today’s chatbots are usually designed in a “one size fits all” approach, even though individual preferences vary from user to user. Some users enjoy interacting with a playful, human-like chatbot with a human name and avatar, while others prefer a more machine-like chatbot with a less “distracting” design. One solution to this problem could be to let users adapt the chatbot’s design to their individual preferences. However, it is not clear how to develop such a solution that would enable users to personalize a chatbot.

Goal of the Seminar

The main goal of this practical seminar is to develop a “personalization control panel” for chatbots. This control panel should allow users to personalize several design elements of a chatbot (e.g., name, avatar, language style) according to their needs. You may use existing code from our ISSDbot as a starting point.

Skills Required

• Very good programming skills (e.g., JavaScript)

• Interest in human-computer interaction and chatbots

• Very good time management and organizational skills

• English skills

Contact

If you are interested in this practical seminar, please contact me directly via mail: ulrich.gnewuch∂kit.edu.