Julie Ask says, “Everyone is buzzing this week about bots with Facebook/Messenger’s anticipated launch of bots on its messenger platform. What is a bot you ask? A bot is a chat-based interface that helps consumers complete tasks — ordering take-out food, chatting with their doctors, or checking the score of a big sports game. Many believe that this next step — bots in conversation with consumers — is imminent. We agree, but not so fast.

There are a few trends playing in favor of bots becoming the next big user interface:

1. Apps put a huge burden on consumers. The app ecosystem forces consumers to orchestrate getting the content and services that they need — sometimes in a single app, most times through a composition of many. And this doesn’t even address individual app quality — too many of them are simply awful. We’re forced through processes translated from online that make no sense on the go or on our mobile phones.
2. Bots foster natural communication. Having a bot is like having an assistant. You can chat with the bot, ask the bot to do things for you — like order take-out or get a new lipstick. They are a natural extension of how we communicate and use our mobile phones”.

Bots: The Next Big Thing In Mobile? Not So Fast

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