Using AI to generate community content and engagement

Community-generated content is a powerful driver for enhancing AI in self-service and automation environments. While Knowledge-Centered Service (KCS) is often regarded as the standard for knowledge management, online communities can generate, curate, and manage knowledge equally. These communities form the backbone of AI-driven systems and establish the foundation for a dynamic and evolving knowledge base.

A well-organized online community is a rich source of user-generated insights AI can analyze, learn from, and incorporate into its responses. As users engage with each other, share their experiences, and collaborate on solving problems, they create content that enriches the knowledge base. When community engagement grows, the knowledge base expands in depth and breadth, continuously adapting to address new challenges, product updates, and user needs.

This organic, user-generated content fills the company's knowledge base gaps. It helps create a more comprehensive and up-to-date resource, improving AI’s ability to deliver accurate and contextually relevant answers.

74% of organizations report improved customer satisfaction after adopting a knowledge-centered approach. Community-driven content, such as forum discussions, FAQs, and user feedback, fuels the ongoing growth of AI systems. This approach can be viewed as a dynamic repository where a more engaged community enhances content, enabling AI to deliver faster and smarter solutions.

You're in an online community, looking for help with an issue related to your favorite hobby or product. After posting your question, an AI-powered chatbot quickly responds with a helpful answer and points you to a troubleshooting guide. This seamless support reflects what community members increasingly expect: fast and reliable assistance without waiting for a human response.

The true strength of AI chatbots is their capacity for continuous evolution. AI-powered chatbots become invaluable tools when integrated with a strong and constantly updated knowledge base. The more comprehensive and well-organized the knowledge base, the better equipped the chatbot is to deliver accurate, context-rich responses that address a wide range of queries.

Only some teams have a developer on hand for every change. Khoros offers an easy, no-code bot builder, enabling your team to make adjustments without technical expertise. This means faster adaptations and greater flexibility to personalize solutions quickly.

Agent assistance is a superpower for your customer support team. AI analyzes conversations and suggests relevant responses or next steps in real time. If a chatbot can't resolve an issue, AI ensures a smooth transition to a human agent, providing them with all the context needed for a fast, informed resolution.

Think of automated issue resolution as a personal assistant always ready to help. As it learns from interactions, it becomes better at anticipating needs and offering helpful advice. AI tools equip agents with immediate troubleshooting support, guide users through self-help articles, and direct customers to the appropriate resources based on their inquiries.

When tackling a problem in an online community, such as finding a solution for a technical issue, it’s likely that someone else has faced the same challenge before. The question is, where do you start?

Whether it's a support forum for a software product or a hobbyist group, users frequently spend valuable time searching for answers. Instead of sifting through endless threads, smart search uses AI to find exactly what you need, saving you time and reducing frustration. It's like having a guide who knows where the treasure is hidden, helping you resolve issues quickly so you can get back to engaging with the community.

Like how Netflix and Amazon provide recommendations based on past activity, AI-powered personalized recommendations in online communities help users discover relevant content that aligns with their needs and interests. This tool is particularly valuable for community managers, as it helps prevent users from feeling overwhelmed by irrelevant information.

These suggestions improve search efficiency and encourage users to explore the community more, fostering a sense of connection and increasing engagement and participation. When users discover helpful resources or connect with others who share their interests, they are more likely to contribute and engage in discussions, which enhances the community dynamic.

Creating a respectful online environment is crucial for building trust and engagement within your community. AI-powered moderation tools play an important role as they automatically identify inappropriate content, offensive language, and harmful behavior in real time. This proactive approach minimizes risks and helps ensure that your community remains welcoming for everyone.

Moderation encompasses more than merely filtering out harmful content; it strives to improve the overall community experience by making it more seamless and accessible. AI can effectively categorize content and organize discussions, resources, and user-generated posts based on their relevance and topic.

For insights into AI and GenAI use cases in knowledge self-service and automation, visit our blog here.

Integrating GenAI with knowledge management systems offers great potential but comes with challenges. Below are some of the obstacles you may face when bringing together these two powerful tools:

• Data accuracy and organization: Ensuring the data feeding GenAI is accurate, well-organized, and accessible. Siloed data can hinder GenAI’s effectiveness in providing relevant insights.

• Real-time knowledge management: Maintaining up-to-date and consistent knowledge bases for GenAI to use in real time. As knowledge evolves, GenAI must adapt quickly to deliver accurate responses.

• Cross-team collaboration: Effective collaboration between IT, customer service, and knowledge management teams is essential to fine-tuning the system and optimizing GenAI’s performance.

• Privacy and data security: Ensuring compliance with data security regulations and protecting sensitive customer information when using data for GenAI training and responses.

Soon, generative AI will advance beyond the current capabilities of conversational AI and predictive analytics. Although these technologies are already influencing self-service and customer service, IDC analyst Mary Wardley notes in Episode 1 of our "GenAI in Action" webinar series that the next wave of innovation will likely focus on hyper-personalization, the development of curated knowledge content, multilingual support, localized engagement, workforce optimization, and more.

As GenAI continues to evolve, it is expected to better understand the context surrounding user interactions. This improvement will enable it to provide timely and empathetic responses that cater to each user’s unique journey. As a result, communities will become more self-sufficient, with AI facilitating collaboration by connecting users with similar goals and organizing events or projects.

As businesses explore how to incorporate GenAI into their customer support and community engagement strategies, they must prioritize curating, organizing, and maintaining their knowledge assets. Knowledge management systems must be dynamic, adaptable, and capable of evolving as GenAI’s capabilities expand. Doing so will maximize the value of AI-driven interactions, improve customer satisfaction, and build stronger, more engaged communities.

Integrating GenAI into online communities goes beyond merely adopting the latest technology; it involves establishing a solid knowledge foundation to harness its potential. The future of GenAI in online communities holds great promise, and businesses that focus on accessibility, knowledge management, and continuous innovation will be leaders in this transformation.

Khoros leverages the capabilities of leading generative AI models through an open and flexible approach. It combines generative AI with unique data, effective orchestration, and multichannel engagement tools to create rich conversational interactions. This results in an always-on, closed-loop system that continuously learns, improves, and delivers quick benefits to every customer.

Our award-winning enterprise software makes it easier for complex brands to engage with customers at scale across all digital, social, and brand-owned channels. Whether for service and support, communications, or sales, the solutions powered by advanced automation and AI unlock more consistent, personalized, and helpful omnichannel interactions between brands and their audiences. 

Ready to elevate your customer engagement? Let us help you unlock the full potential of AI and automation to drive personalized, seamless experiences.