AI chatbot
Words made simple
A few useful meanings before you read the explanation.
- LLM
- A model trained to work with language. It can write or summarize text, but its answer still needs checking against reliable information.
- Retrieval
- Finding and fetching information that is useful for the current question.
- Agent
- An application that uses a model to choose its next action within defined limits. It can use tools and continue through several steps.
More words from this lesson
- Authentication
- Checking who a user or service is, such as by verifying a login session.
Overview
A chatbot exposes a conversational model through your app. It may perform no tools or retrieval. Ordinary conversation alone does not make it an agent.
Why this matters
Users can request language help without learning a specialized interface.
An everyday example
A writing assistant answers questions about text you provide.
A technical example
POST /chat accepts a message and returns a bounded answer.
How it works
- Authenticate
- Select permitted history
- Call model
- Validate/display
- Store outcome.
Architecture and flow
React → Node → LLM → Node → React.
The insurance assistant example
Explain a supplied claim checklist in simpler language.
When to use it
Low-risk conversation and text transformation.
When to avoid it
Private claim facts need tools; policy knowledge needs current sources.
Interview answer
“A chatbot is an interface; I add retrieval or tools only when the task needs them.”
Benefits, trade-offs, and production considerations
Enforce authentication, bounded history, privacy, timeout, and usage limits even for one call. Return explicit model failures instead of invented success.
Can you explain it without the notes?
AI chatbot
Use your own words. Explain an example and one limitation before checking the explanation.
Check your explanation
A chatbot exposes a conversational model through your app. It may perform no tools or retrieval. Ordinary conversation alone does not make it an agent.
Turn this concept into a clear answer.
Practice this conceptAdapted from 13_AI.MD · “AI chatbot”. Examples are study fragments; framework behavior can depend on your version.