Microsoft’s newest chatbot lives on Kik

The Normcore Dad of tech is back at it again with another bot. This time, on Kik (why?)! It’s just interesting that Microsoft is again targeting such a young demo. Why? No but really, why? Is this all a big data collection scheme to launch new products for “the kids”? Curious. Here’s hoping the biggest learning for all is just how long it takes to create this level of “conversationalism": Months and a team of writers/comedians.

Conversational Form: Turning web forms into conversations

Exactly what it sounds like and very cool, actually. It's open source, and it doesn't look like a very serious project, but we love that it's very meta--you use the bot generated with their bot generator 💥

The limitations of letting chatbots imitate humans

Fantastic article about, well, what we’ve been talking about for like ever. Bots shouldn’t be trying to trick a user into thinking it’s a human. And that shouldn’t be the measure of a bot’s efficacy or “intelligence.” Great quotes too, like: “If the Wright Brothers’ plane didn’t have to flap its wings like a bird in order to achieve flight, why should we assume that a chatbot has to be able to communicate like a human in order to achieve intelligence?”

Game On: You Can Now Play Games on Messenger

At first we were all “Oh great, Farmville notifications, but in chat 😒” BUT NO! What’s interesting about this is it harkens back to the very core of the Facebook “promise” which is keeping people connected. These games are a natural way to augment that connectivity. Great for staying in touch across long distances (something we know a lot about). Also, great that FB is continuing to strengthen *why* people should use FB Messenger in the first place!

How to have a 35% increase in customer service efficiency

Interesting look at the role of chatbots in customer service, classifying them into either being front-end standalone or assisting agents behind the firewall, making them “cyborgs.”  But we think there’s a third category which is a hybrid of the two (frontborg?). Also, they talk about Financial and Airlines as target industries, but we think there are lower hanging fruit industries with less complex customer support issues i.e. lower risk of pissed customers, where front-end bots can make big  impact *now.*

Food Truck Finder

Exactly what it sounds like, but unfortunately in Malaysia only for now. Global expansion soon, pls?

Literally Anything Else Bot

The bot that keeps politics off the dinner table, by keeping you talking about literally anything else (we made this for fun!)