How AI chatbots can seriously damage your brand

A digital illustration representing an AI chatbot
(Image credit: MR.Cole_Photographer via Getty Images)

Chatbots have come a long way from the days when Microsoft’s Clippy would pop up, unannounced, offering 'help' but actually just disrupting whatever it was you were doing. As Mark Zuckerberg and Elon Musk know well, the latest generation of conversational AI chatbots promises a more personalised and relevant experience for users. 

When done well, AI chatbots can deliver a faster resolution to issues, reduce costs and provide an “always on”, 24/7 service (and deliver zingy one-liners, of course). They are now being used for everything from website navigation support to supporting users with their mental health.   

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

Vanessa Porter

Vanessa has been working with artificial intelligence and machine learning since it was called analytics, and data scientists were called analysts. Her specialism is using data to provide a world-class customer experience.

Read more
AI trends predictions 2025
How to use AI properly – 5 tips to help you get the most from the tech
AI generated images of a male creative director and a female parent
AI's gender bias is even worse than reality
graphic designer
'It's a genie out of the bottle': How AI is impacting graphic design
Cartoon of young person looking at the sun rise over a futuristic cityscape
Should we be scared or excited? What to expect from AI in 2025
Superside AI branding
“AI is merely a mechanism”: how Superside built a human-led AI brand
Apple Intelligence
Apple's U-turn on news alerts shows big tech is the biggest threat to AI
Latest in Branding
Monotype quiz
What's your type? Take this font quiz to find your soulmate
Microsoft To Do
People have some Very Strong Opinions on the Microsoft To Do icons
Between the Lines
"It's not enough to be a good writer”: Zosia Swidlicka on the importance of brand language in copywriting
Clippers logos old vs new
New LA Clippers logo is an instant classic
Reddit rebrand
'Help us clean up... that was the assignment': How we made Reddit's new identity
Rockstar energy drink
"Lively, buzzy and spirited": Rockstar rebrand ditches traditional energy drink aesthetics
Latest in Features
Promise Mascot Agency;
How Ikumi Nakamura's 'art bible' helped create Promise Mascot Agency's grotesque mascots, and why collaboration in indie game development is vital
Pittura, a short film made at ArtFX
"We wanted to talk about AI and its relationship to art" – how we made 2025’s VES Student Award-winning animation Pittura
Stanley 'Artgerm' Lau; a vibrant, dynamic illustration showcases Spider-Gwen in a dynamic action pose amidst a cityscape, radiating a sense of energy and playful confidence
"Art is not easy. You have to suffer in joy" – Stanley 'Artgerm' Lau reflects on what it takes to succeed in comic art
Your House indie game art interview; A stylised illustration depicts a young woman seated, seemingly contemplative, in a setting that combines elements of a comic book panel and a vintage aesthetic
"This is a game you can read, or a book you can play” – solving the visual design of Your House, a detective game crossed with a Daniel Clowes comic
one.com
How to build a website for your creative business quickly and easily
AI generated images of a male creative director and a female parent
AI's gender bias is even worse than reality