Let’s talk about Chatbots

Let’s talk about Chatbots and how AI is making it easier for everyone to create their own in an inclusive way. Have you ever wanted to create your own chatbot but felt it was out of reach without deep technical skills? Are you interested in learning the steps to creating something inclusive and meaningful?

To test the tools available, I created PausePal—a chatbot designed to help 11 to 14-year-olds decide whether something is appropriate to share via messaging. I used the Feminist Design Tool, an inclusive design tool and simple chatbot platforms. Here’s how you can create your own:

1. Learn the Basics: I highly recommend the Designing a Feminist Chatbot course on FutureLearn—it’s free! This course offers clear steps to build ethical, inclusive, and user-friendly chatbots.(https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/designing-a-feminist-chatbot) 

2. Define Your Purpose & Users

Start with the “why.” What problem will your chatbot solve? Who will it serve?

For PausePal, I aimed to empower young people with a tool to pause and reflect before sharing messages. Having a clear purpose and understanding of the chatbot users, guides every decision you make during the build.

3. Choose a Platform

I used Chatbase (https://www.chatbase.co/), which makes chatbot creation accessible for non-developers, and ChatGPT to create the data tables for my bot. There are many platforms to choose from—find one that suits your needs and skill level.

4. Iterate and Improve

Building the chatbot is just the beginning. Testing and iterating based on user feedback has helped me fine-tune PausePal. Don’t hesitate to refine your chatbot’s responses as you learn what works best for your audience.

Why Try It?

Chatbots are a great way to tackle real-world challenges. Whether your goal is to support customers, spark meaningful conversations, or educate, the tools to build something impactful are now accessible.

🌟 Ready to dive deeper? Explore the tools I shared above, and let me know about the chatbots you create! 🌟