Chatbots: History, technology, and applications

This literature review presents the History, Technology, and Applications of Natural Dialog Systems or simply chatbots. It aims to organize critical information that is a necessary background for further research activity in the field of chatbots. More specifically, while giving the historical evolution, from the generative idea to the present day, we point out possible weaknesses of each stage. After we present a complete categorization system, we analyze the two essential implementation technologies, namely, the pattern matching approach and machine learning. Moreover, we compose a general architectural design that gathers critical details, and we highlight crucial issues to take into account before system design. Furthermore, we present chatbots applications and industrial use cases while we point out the risks of using chatbots and suggest ways to mitigate them. Finally, we conclude by stating our view regarding the direction of technology so that chatbots will become really smart.