Comparison of approaches to chatbot development and implementation

This paper compares appropriate approaches to the development and implementation of chatbots with an emphasis on strategic, technological and economic aspects in a consulting environment. The thesis is structured in three parts. In the first part, the necessary theoretical concepts and approaches are introduced to clarify the issues related to the development of chatbots and overall projects related to artificial intelligence. This part also includes the allocation of evaluation criteria and metrics against which the different approaches will be subsequently compared. In the second part, the different approaches to the development and implementation of chatbots are already described. It mainly focuses on the selection and analysis of the most up-to-date approaches. Specifically, this is a mix of methods and practices including both (closed-source) and (open-source) models as well as solutions using (low-code/no-code) platforms or practices. These practices continue to be subjected to a comparison methodology. This is done through pre-established evaluation criteria. After the actual comparison, the author presents the results of the comparison and formulates a strategy with recommendations on how to proceed in selecting the appropriate approach to develop and implement a chatbot in a consultancy environment. These findings can serve as a practical guide for companies or consultants considering different approaches and platforms for deploying chatbots within their projects.