AI is most certainly the flavour of the moment.  It will, we are told, revolutionise every aspect of our lives - from the delivery of legal services to how marketers reach and communicate with their customers and clients.

Chatbots are the sometimes physical (or not) manifestation of AI interfaces.  Some are seemly quite successful - Hey Alexa.  But most disappoint. 

In July, marketers can attend SuperCharged - a one day conference for those wishing to learn and understand more about AI and, specifically, chatbots. 

You can even 'talk' to its chatbot.  My conversation didn't go well (see image).  

In fact, the history of chatbot conversations is laughable - remember Microsoft's racist, sexist, holocaust denying Tay.

And this is my problem with chatbots.  The user experience is always frustrating.

Brands will tell us that they want to engage with their customers, yet hide behind a piece of code. The charade of pretending to speak to someone who can help and who gives a toss almost inevitable leads to the customer having to pick up the phone or walking away.

I am sure that at some point in the near future true AI will lead to the intelligent chatbots.  And as marketers and communicators we need to understand this technology.  But that should not mean that we adopt it just yet.