The use of chatbots in this instance meant that nations were able to access immediate information during a time of crisis, less misinformation was spreading across the internet, and users weren’t overwhelmed by a barrage of social media or Google search results.
This all changed when COVID-19 hit and lockdown measures came into effect. The catalyst being that the nation’s digital footprint increased exponentially overnight. Due to the sheer number of people seeking information from health websites, both the World Health Organisation and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention integrated chatbots into their websites. These bots were able to provide concise and accurate information in a timely fashion to an unlimited number of people. The use of chatbots in this instance meant that nations were able to access immediate information during a time of crisis, less misinformation was spreading across the internet, and users weren’t overwhelmed by a barrage of social media or Google search results.