Messaging with ChatBots
Not many people may know this but If you use Facebook Messenger or Allo, a messaging app by Google, you can interact with AI ChatBots, however are Chat Bots effective or are they a gimmic for people to use every now and then?
Allo is a new app by Google that is available on android and iOS. Its big feature is the integration of the Google Assistant into any conversation you are having or simply just a conversation with the Google Assistant itself. It can keep you updated with news, give you answers, play small games like name that movie with emoji’s and most importantly it can show you cat pictures if you want it to.
The Google Assistant in Allo is perfectly integrated. To activate it in your message you simply type “@Google” then whatever you want. During your conversations, it will offer quick reply suggestions as well as contextual searches. If I were to say that I was hungry a suggestion would be “@google restaurants nearby”. This feature is great because it then gives you results within the conversation.
A new feature of Allo is “@lucky” which is an AI bot that gives you a GIF of whatever you type after it. This new bot was released earlier this week and has its flaws. When typing “@lucky its beautiful outside” I got a picture of a man with the text perfection. This AI bot needs work but it shows Google’s dedication to providing more AI chat bots to Allo.
Facebook Messenger is the heavy hitter when it comes to AI chat bots. Back in the spring of 2016 Facebook released the feature of Chatbot integration with the messenger. This feature allows you to chat with certain businesses or apps that range from keeping you updated on your flight or on the weather. The use of these bots seem that it will be based on if you are involved with that business, for example, one ChatBot is Tommy Hilfiger. This bot will keep you updated with the new collections and offer fun facts if you wish. Another bot called “Hiponcho” will let you know what the weather is when you ask it.
Both Google and Facebook have different versions of what they think people want in their lives of messaging. Facebook gears AI Chatbots towards the purpose of promoting businesses and connecting with consumers by separating the Chat Bots from actual conversations between friends. Google took the opposite approach, fully integrating their two ChatBots into any conversation you want, hoping that it will enhance your conversations with others.
Personally, I believe Facebook is taking a great approach to connecting businesses with its consumers in a way that has not been done over social media. By maintaining the separation between AI and real conversations, the purpose of the AI ChatBots will not be lost. I use the Google Assistant the most, though. The ability to quick ask google a question and have that answer in your conversation with someone it perfect, you never have to leave the app to get restaurant locations or pictures, it also lets you play games within the app, how could you hate that?
