Can chatbots do good?

Can chatbots do good in society?

Hundreds of new 'bots' are launched each day across platforms like facebook messenger, Slack, Kik, Amazon Alexa and Google Home.

Most of these are business bots, designed for marketing and profit.

But an increasing number are being created to serve a social good.

From anti-harassment bot '@talk2spot', cognitive behavioural therapist '@drwoebot' right through to '@allychatbot' - designed to help young homeless people - there is a new generation of designers who believe chatbots can serve a social good.

But can an artificial 'agent', an algorithm, really be any use to society?

Can they help alleviate loneliness? Can they really address issues of self-esteem and successfully guide people through the labyrinthine care and benefits network?

And if they can serve any kind of good, how does a social enterprise go about trying to build a chatbot from scratch?

These are some of the questions we will be addressing with three speakers at our first meetup 'bots for good'.

We hear from two of the experts at the cutting edge of chatbot design.

Accidental bot developer Steve Worswick talks about the unexpected social value of his prize-winning chatbot Mitsuku.

Botpreneur founder Jim Rowe talks us through the basic process of designing a chatbot from scratch: from where to go for information and expertise, to how much you might have to spend (if anything).

Finally entrepeneur Martin Hennessey chairs an audience led discussion with our guests and asks what, if anything, our audience would like to see from 'bots for good' in the future.

The talks will start promptly at 7pm and finish by 9pm.

There will be free drinks, snacks and some fascinating people to network with - many of whom are as ambitious as you are to find ways to change the world for the better.