14 Using context and data to create smarter conversations
This chapter covers
- Understanding the relevance of context within and across conversations
- Designing for short- and long-term contexts
- Implementing context and conditions
- Using proactive data and domain knowledge for better user experiences
- Working with dynamic data and ever-changing real-world contexts
Context refers to all the knowledge, perception, language and environment that affect the exact interpretation of an utterance and conversation. To understand context, think of a simple request you’d make of someone. Maybe “Open the window upstairs,” or “Turn down the volume,” or “What time do we need to leave?” What assumptions do you make when saying this? How does your wording change depending on who you’re talking to, their current location as well as your own, how well they know you and the topic, who else is nearby, what they’re doing and what else is happening around you? How might the response differ depending on the assumptions you make?