Facebook Messenger Allows Developers To Build Chatbots
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http://www.siliconbeat.com/
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A couple of weeks ago we saw Messenger partner up with Uber so that you could talk to an "Uber-bot" and tell it where you want to be picked up from and where your destination is. However, recent reports suggest that Uber won't be the only chatbot on Messenger for much longer.
Facebook are working on a Chat SDK (software development kit) that will allow third party developers to create virtual chat bots that can automatically respond to questions asked by real users.This could be great for businesses, but it is also threatening to the personal side of social media that we have grown to love and expect.
To clarify, we're not talking about Facebook's M.That's their artificial intelligence, their very own Siri or Cortana. The bots we're talking about may be able to perform very similar tasks (like making table reservations), but the key is that they were built by Facebook's partner developers, rather than Facebook themselves.
FYI: I'm having flashbacks to MSN's SmarterChild chatterbot as we speak!
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It's not clear yet how many third party developers are involved, but we know the SDK is being tested right now by a select few. The long-term aim, it seems, is to help companies send interested customers to websites, shops, answer questions and even process payments without the need for human intervention.
Having grown up with SmarterChild to harass, chatbots don't seem all that revolutionary. In Asia, chat apps handle everything, from booking flights to managing bank accounts. Who knows how much further a simple chatbot will take interaction on Messenger?
Brands can save money and company time managing their accounts and users get an instant response and satisfaction all round. I highly doubt that Facebook will be the last company to test a model like this and I suspect we'll be seeing it everywhere in years to come.
With Google talking about a bot-based messenger service too it seems like 2016 is shaping up to be a bot-filled year. SmarterChild may even return yet.
Megan Herdson
Megan is a country girl who moved to the city with some big dreams. She is studying her MA in Creative Writing whilst also managing an American Football Team. She loves her blog and wants nothing more than to have her words read. That and to win the Championship, obviously. Follow her @MeganAtSMF
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Facebook Messenger Allows Developers To Build Chatbots
Reviewed by Unknown
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Friday, January 08, 2016
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Reviewed by Unknown
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Friday, January 08, 2016
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Unknown
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