This is breaking news and will be updated as more information becomes available. For now, we understand the following has been made public.
The RHS plans to launch ChatBotanist to give advice, after analysing many thousands of questions asked over the years. A specially designed AI powered tool set up by a digital information company for the RHS has introduced the ChatBotanist. It is based on the questions asked of the RHS over the past five years. Clare Matterson the new RHS director has said “The RHS ChatBotanist is a great new resource to offer a wealth of trusted gardening advice easily and quickly at people’s fingertips.
“But whilst this new technology is a wonderful way to share 200 years of RHS gardening knowledge with as many people as possible, the most quirky gardening questions from 2023 put to our horticultural teams demonstrate that the ChatBotanist won’t be able to answer every question that comes its way!
“We very much need the amazing breadth of our expert’s knowledge, as well as their sense of humour, to keep finding answers to the nation’s burning gardening questions.”
Well, if this is artificial intelligence it's best, it of little or no use at all to us succulent growers! Let's try rewording the question more specifically.
So far, my experiences of the Beta version does not make it compelling for those seeking a proper answer -It appears to be a better form of a Google search! it's back to the telephone or shows. The new RHS ChatBotanist will be available free for RHS members, and available in the coming weeks on RHS Grow with a small monthly fee.
My question to the RHS is Does this mean the end of face to face consultations, just like an appointment with your doctor online or buying your train tickets with your smartphone. I hope not as one of the best things about visiting an RHS flower show was taking that sample along for the local expert's advice and conversation, it not the same online, maybe its a bit like online banking its coming whether we like it or not, I suppose it could be better than being on hold at the doctors only to be told to phone tomorrow as there are no appointments left for today! Meanwhile, the plant dies. Maybe this is the way forward for those that are tech-savvy.