SCIENCE AND EDUCATION
Out with the life coach, in with the chatbot
Baku, August 8, AZERTAC
In a first systematic review and meta-analysis of its kind, researchers at the University of South Australia show that chatbots are an effective tool to significantly improve physical activity, diet and sleep, in a step to get ready for the warmer months ahead, according to ScienceDaily.
Published in Nature Digital Medicine, the study found that chatbots -- otherwise known as conversational agents or virtual assistants -- can quickly and capably support you to increase your daily steps, add extra fruits and vegetables to your diet, and even improve sleep duration and quality.
Insufficient physical activity, excessive sedentary behaviour, poor diet and poor sleep are major global health issues and are among the leading modifiable causes of depression, anxiety and chronic diseases including type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, obesity, cancers and increased mortality.
Lead researcher, UniSA's Dr Ben Singh says the findings highlight the potential of artificial intelligence to revolutionise healthcare delivery.
"When we think of chatbots, we often think of simple applications such as daily news notifications or Uber orders. But in recent years, this technology has advanced to the point where it can sometimes be hard to determine whether you are chatting to a machine, or a real person," Dr Singh says.
"For health, this capability presents tremendous opportunities for chatbots to promote effective interventions that support wellbeing and a healthy lifestyle.
"Their appeal lies in the way that they can generate immediate, appealing, and personalised responses, which prompt users to make better decisions about their everyday movement, eating habits and sleep.