These bots can serve, for example, as a source of information for website users or as personal assistants that allow us to centralize the services we regularly use (sending emails, searching for information, scheduling meetings, etc.).
What are the features of Botpress?
The Botpress platform uses its own NLU engine to interpret user input . Natural Language Understanding , as its name suggests, is a branch of natural language processing and artificial intelligence based on understanding a given text. This engine allows it to analyze the messages it receives from the user and, based on the training provided, decide how to respond and what actions to take.
A Botpress chatbot can respond to a user with content in the form of text, images, audio, or video , among other options. It is trained through a graphical interface, where we define sequential conversation flows.
Figure 1: Example of sequential conversation flow in the Botpress graphical interface.
As we can see in the image (“Thank” node), it is possible for a user entry to receive more than one message in response.
It's worth noting that it's possible to extract information contained in user messages , such as their name or email address, and store it in variables in short- or long-term memory. This way, we could, for example, always refer to the user by name or send them periodic emails (newsletters) with news or offers; this makes its applications for departments like marketing very interesting.
How does it work?
Botpress's response to our messages is obtained as follows:
Figure 2: Message exchange lifecycle with Botpress.
- After receiving a message from the user, the NLU engine interprets the user's intent.
- Botpress searches for the appropriate response in its training and the static content needed to respond. If actions (NodeJS code) are required, they will be executed and the resulting result returned.
- The dialog manager will send the resulting output to the user.
Can we extend Botpress?
Due to its open source nature, it is possible to extend it in different ways:
- In addition to static content, code execution is possible through actions . Actions are NodeJS code files provided to Botpress that allow you to, for example, perform operations or access external services such as REST APIs or databases.
- We can also add Hooks , which allow us to run NodeJS code when specific events occur (for example, when the server starts or a conversation ends).
- Another possibility would be to modify the visual aspect (for example, the web chat interface, adapting it to fit the style of our website) by creating new components or modifying existing ones.
And what about its integration?
To integrate a Botpress bot we have several possibilities:
- Access the bot via the Rest API (information exchange in JSON), facilitating access and integration from other platforms, regardless of their programming language.
- Integrate into a website using a JS script.
- Integrate with communication tools such as Facebook Messenger, RocketChat, Telegram, Microsoft Teams, and Slack, among others.
Botpress Success Story
VR Bank (a German financial institution) has used Botpress to streamline and automate its loan application process. The bank receives more than 3,000 loan applications per year, typically costing more than €400 per application to process, exceeding €1 million annually.
To improve its service and reduce costs, VR Bank, together with Botpress, designed and implemented AVA , a conversational AI that offers information tailored to users 24/7 . The result: a reduction in staff workload and a reduction in application processing costs by €150 each— half a million euros annually.
In this video we can see a simple training example:
Want to know more about Hunters?
At Altia, we've designed several programs to help people finishing their degree or recent graduates get started in the IT sector, leveraging their talent and passion for technology. One of these programs is Hunters : people who are trendsetters, have an innovative spirit, and contribute to anticipating future challenges. Being part of Hunters means being part of a cross-functional group capable of generating and transferring knowledge.
Join the Hunters program and become part of a cross-functional group capable of generating and transferring knowledge.
Nicolás Cuello - Software Engineer at Altia
