Using AI to generate replies in a conversation bot (Generative AI EAP)

Note: The features described in this article are currently available in an early access program (EAP). You can sign up for the EAP here. When the EAP ends, these features will be part of the Advanced AI add-on.

Generative replies let you use AI-generated responses in your conversation bots to address questions from your end users. These responses use generative AI to evaluate articles in your linked help center, then use that knowledge to provide concise answers in conversations with your customers.

You can enable generative replies as part of a bot’s general setup configuration.

This article includes the following sections:

• About generative replies in the EAP
• Activating and configuring generative replies
• Using generative replies with intents

About generative replies in the EAP

The generative replies feature is available as part of the Generative AI early access program (EAP). See the Zendesk generative AI capabilities overview for more information on this EAP.

This section includes the following topics:

• Overview of the feature
• Account requirements
• EAP limitations
• Joining the EAP

Overview of the feature

Generative replies can respond to a customer question when:

• No intents are detected for that question
• An intent matching that question is configured to generate a reply

If your account meets the eligibility requirements for using intents, you will gain access to intents when added to the EAP. Intents are included in the Advanced AI add-on. See Using AI-powered intents with conversation bots for more information.

Please note that when the EAP closes, you will need to purchase the Advanced AI add-on to continue using both generative replies and intents, if you haven't already added it to your account.

When activated for your bot, generative replies benefit both admins and customers. Customers can gain useful knowledge from your help center articles right away, without leaving the conversation. Admins can rely on AI-generated automated replies based on help center content, making it easy to deliver useful information to customers without building custom answers.

Generative replies impact your conversation bot in a number of ways. This list describes how some common bot behaviors are affected:

• Bot reply presentation. When a relevant help center article is identified, generative replies are displayed as a single message with a link to the source article. These messages are short (generally under 100 words), and reflect the bot persona, if applied.
• Reply feedback. Generative replies are always followed by a standard request for end-user feedback (e.g. “was this helpful - yes/no”).
• Reply fallback message. When there's no relevant answer or help center content to generate a reply, the bot responds with the fallback message they've configured.

• Languages. The generative reply content uses the language applied to the bot.

Account requirements

To use the generative replies EAP, your account must meet the following requirements:

• Agent workspace is activated
• Messaging is activated
• An open Zendesk knowledge base is connected to your account. If your help center requires users to sign in, it won't be available for generative replies.
• (Intent-related features only) Meets the requirements for using intents

EAP limitations

Because this is a pre-release version of the feature described in this article, there may be functionality limitations, including:

• Restricted help center articles won't be available via generative replies.
• Images can't be included in AI-generated answers.

Joining the EAP

This EAP includes generative AI features used in a number of functional areas, such as agent productivity, bots and automation, knowledge base management, and voice support.

When you sign up for the EAP, you can select the features you want to try. You are not required to apply all EAP features to your account. To use generative replies, you’ll need to opt-in to Generative AI for bots and automations. This also allows you to select and apply a bot persona, which determines the voice of AI-generated messages, including generative replies.

See Zendesk generative AI capabilities overview for more information on these features.

You can request admission to the EAP by filling out the sign-up form.

Activating and configuring generative replies

When you are accepted into the generative AI EAP and opt-in to the generative replies feature, the option to activate generative replies appears in a conversation bot’s setup tab.

To turn on generative replies

1. In Admin Center, click Channels in the sidebar, then select Bots and automations > Bots.
2. Under Conversation bot, click Manage bots.
3. Click the bot you want to use with generative replies, or create a new bot.
4. In the Setup tab, click to expand the section If the bot finds relevant articles.
5. Select Generate a reply. If you’re creating a new bot, this option is selected by default.

   When you select this box, any intents without an assigned answer setting will be updated to Generate a reply

6. Click the Test bot button and enter phrases the bot can match to existing help center content, to view samples of replies your end users might receive.
7. Click Publish bot to apply your changes.

Using generative replies with intents

When you turn on generative replies, any intent without an assigned answer setting will be updated to Generate a reply. For each intent, you can leave this setting as-is, choose to update it to Don’t generate a reply, or you can add the intent to an answer in your conversation bot.

Note: If your account does not meet the eligibility requirements for using intents, the Intents tab will not appear on your bot management page, and the features described in this section will not be available. If you would like to apply for eligibility and gain access to intents functionality, contact your Zendesk Sales representative.

To manage generative reply settings for specific intents

1. In Admin Center, click Channels in the sidebar, then select Bots and automations > Bots.
2. Under Conversation bot, click Manage bots.
3. Click the bot you’re using with generative replies.
4. In the Intents tab, for each intent use the drop-down to select an option:

   

   • Generate a reply (default) lets the bot create a response to a customer’s matching free-text entry.
   • Don’t generate a reply prevents the bot from responding to a customer’s matching free-text entry. Instead, it replies with the standard fallback response (“Sorry I couldn't find a good answer to your question. Here are some topics that might help though”).
   • Show an answer lets you connect the intent to an existing answer, or create a new answer for it.

   Use the filters at the top of the Topic list to locate specific intents more quickly.

You can also choose whether you want to generate a reply for any question asked by an end user that does not have a matching intent. By default, a reply will be generated for any customer free-text entry that matches an intent if that intent is not associated with an answer in the conversation bot.

To manage generative replies to questions without matching intents

1. In Admin Center, click Channels in the sidebar, then select Bots and automations > Bots.
2. Under Conversation bot, click Manage bots.
3. Click the bot you’re using with generative replies.
4. In the Intents tab, use the drop-down at the top of the page to select Generate a reply or Don’t generate a reply.

   

These changes are applied when the bot is published.