Members of the Rotaract Club of Dehli Rajdhani test features of the app, designed to provide users with reliable information through a computer-simulated chat.
By Uday Nanda, past president Rotaract Club of Dehli Rajdhani, New Dehli, India
As a social entrepreneur in New Dehli, India, I have been watching the overload of information coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic. It can be hard to sort out good information from bad. People have been misled by false news and inaccurate claims. As a member of Rotaract who has received recognition as a product designer in the fields of education and technology, I wanted to do something to help people sort fact from fiction.
With the support of my Rotaract club, I set out to design a Chatbot that could answer people’s questions about the pandemic. A Chabot is a software application that simulates an online text conversation with a live person. You can ask questions and receive information as if you are chatting with a real person, only via artificial intelligence.
When you use the Chatbot, you are initially asked a few questions about your status as a Rotary member or not, and what district you are from. You can then request various kinds of information about different subjects, and the Chatbot will link you to health-related information from the World Health Organization or Rotary-related information from Rotary.org.
Subjects that you can search for or fact-check include:
- Prevention Tips
- Informational Videos
- Myths Debunked
- Travel guidelines
- Rotary events affected
- WHO updates
Based on the initial feedback, we are working on enhancing the user experience to allow the Chatbot to assist with booking doctor appointments, link the user to testing labs, and help locate food or supplies.
Healthcare systems around the world are feeling the pressure from COVID-19. At the same time, the ability of communities to adapt and confront challenges is constantly on display. The human spirit is shining through, from Italians singing from their balconies under quarantine, to healthcare workers putting in overtime to save lives. People everywhere are sharing tips on getting through this pandemic while being isolated at home. There are countless stories to be told, and Rotarians are in the midst of them.
You can try the Chatbot on our club’s Facebook messenger page. If you have suggestions on how we can improve it, or you want to incorporate something similar on your website or Facebook page, contact me on LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter or by email [email protected]
https://blog.rotary.org/2020/05/11/rotaractors-app-separates-pandemic-fact-from-fiction/