JACKSONVILLE, Fla.—Johnson & Johnson has introduced “Andy,” a virtual assistant chatbot powered by artificial intelligence (AI). Andy is designed to help guide U.S. consumers throughout their Acuvue brand contact lens journey, from those considering contact lenses for the first time to long-term wearers with questions. The chatbot also provides intuitive coaching to help new wearers develop healthy contact lens habits, the company said.

Andy can be found by connecting with Acuvue on the Facebook Messenger app, which has over 1.2 billion monthly active users. In a recent survey by LivePerson, 67 percent of respondents used chatbots for customer support in the last year, J&J pointed out. Research also shows that 45 percent of global chatbot users prefer communicating with chatbots for customer service inquiries.

Andy will allow users to obtain answers to their contact lens-related questions at any time of the day from the convenience of their computer or mobile device. Like other AI-powered technologies, Andy becomes smarter with each interaction.

With Andy, Johnson & Johnson Vision aims to empower those who are considering contact lenses, while also helping new wearers who may have questions or challenges with inserting, removing or caring for their new contact lenses. Research shows that these can be barriers, causing some new users to give up. Andy is intended to be a new source of information and support in addition to that provided by eyecare professionals, the company added.

“We live in a world where you can get on-demand information any time you desire it—and at Johnson & Johnson Vision, we believe eye health information should be no different,” said Jacqueline Henderson, vice president, marketing and e-commerce, North America. “Andy’s ability to deliver fast, friendly and accurate information will help consumers make informed decisions whether they are considering contacts for the first time or are already wearing Acuvue brand contact lenses.”

To chat with Andy, users can search for “Acuvue” in the Facebook Messenger app, which is free to download from the App Store or Google Play store.