The bot era has officially begun. In a widely expected move, Facebook today announced tools for developers to build bots inside Facebook Messenger, bringing a range of new functions to the popular communication app. Facebook believes Messenger can become a primary channel for businesses to interact with their customers, replacing 1-800 numbers with a mix of artificial intelligence and human intervention. If they are embraced by the general public — which is still far from certain — bots could represent a major new channel for commerce, customer support, and possibly even media.
Source: Facebook launches a bot platform for Messenger | The Verge
Expect to see much more about this in the coming months and get ready to change how you interact with many services and businesses.
If you are a business or church or nonprofit or provide a service, it’s time to start thinking about messaging and bots.