Yelp has announced a new AI-powered chatbot aimed at consumers and designed to help them communicate with relevant companies to complete their tasks.
Yelp is deploying the AI assistant in its iOS app under the Projects tab. Android support is planned for later this year. Yelp’s chatbot uses OpenAI’s extensive language models along with the company’s own data to ask users about their problems and connect them with the right professionals to get the job done.
Instead of using a traditional search box to find different professionals to solve a problem, the user can describe the problem directly in the chat interface. Yelp Assistant finds out the postal code and asks additional questions to gather more information to create a project. The user will be able to see messages from professionals about their projects when the bot sends them information. Later, you can respond to these conversations with a special reply or use the app’s quick reply feature.
Yelp is also introducing a new Project Ideas section to encourage users to start a new project that may involve finding services on Yelp. Some of the current suggestions include home maintenance, installing new lighting in the home, and upgrading the outside space. Later this summer, the company will make the feature more personalized with recommendations and checklists.
«Artificial intelligence allows us to change the way people discover and connect with local businesses.
Yelp Assistant is fundamentally changing the way people hire service providers, making it easier for consumers to find the right professional for their needs while giving professionals the information they need to evaluate and get the job,» Craig Saldanha, chief product officer at Yelp, said in a statement.
Along with making the bot available to consumers, the company is also launching an API. This will allow developers of other websites to incorporate the AI-powered bot to search for businesses. Users visiting that third-party site can ask the chatbot for suggestions, such as «A vegan breakfast place that’s open this Saturday at 9am» or «Suggest a good workout studio in Miami with a pool».
The bot will provide relevant suggestions with useful information, including Yelp ratings, prices, review highlights, photos, and business summaries based on artificial intelligence.
Source: techcrunch
