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What is a chatbot?
A chatbot is a program you talk to in everyday language, by typing or speaking, and it replies like a person would.
- Category Agents & tools
- Also called AI chatbot, AI assistant
- Updated 20 Oct 2026
Chatbot, explained simply
A chatbot is software that holds a conversation with you. You write a question, and it writes an answer.
Older chatbots followed fixed scripts. Today's AI chatbots use a large language model, so they can answer a much wider range of questions.
For example, you can ask one to explain a bill, plan a trip or draft an email. It replies in plain words.
Chatbots can be wrong. Double-check anything important, like health, money or legal facts.
On ITG Now, our daily AI news covers new chatbots and updates, and our AI models page compares the models behind them.
Related terms
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Questions people ask about Chatbot
Is a chatbot free?
Many have a free plan with limits. Paid plans usually give more use or better models.
Chatbot vs AI agent: what is the difference?
A chatbot mostly talks with you. An agent can also take actions, like browsing sites or editing files.
Is it safe to share private information with a chatbot?
Be careful. Avoid passwords and sensitive details, and read the service's privacy settings.