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Facebook Messenger Now Has 11,000 Bots (theverge.com)

Posted by BeauHD on from the breaking-news dept.

An anonymous reader writes: Three months after Facebook announced a platform for building bots that operate inside its Messenger app, Messenger chief David Marcus said in a blog post that more than 11,000 bots have been created. He also said 23,000 more developers have signed up to use tools provided by Wit.ai, a Facebook acquisition that automates conversational interactions between users and businesses. Facebook has yet to announce any numbers regarding how many users actually use the bots, but developers appear to be actively engaged. Facebook has said that bots will rapidly improve as more developers create them. Marcus did announce several new features for the platform. Bots can now respond with GIFs, audio, video, and other files "to help a brand's personality come across," Marcus said. They can now link Messenger profiles to customer accounts, such as a bank or online merchant. They're also getting some new UI elements: "quick replies" that suggest interactions for the user to help them set their expectations, and a "persistent menu" option for bots that displays available commands at all times so users don't have to remember them. A star system is now in place for users to rate bots and provide feedback directly to developers.
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5 of 43 comments (clear)

  1. Bots by invictusvoyd · · Score: 4, Funny

    The average facebook bot has more IQ than the average facebook user.

    1. Re:Bots by WSOGMM · · Score: 2

      The average facebook bot has more IQ than the average facebook user.

      insulting facebook users will never get you laid

      that said, using advertisement chatbots, if conversation goes uninitiated, will be a surefire way to end my relationship with facebook

  2. Bad news by 110010001000 · · Score: 2

    The bad news is all 11,000 of them were Fart Bots.

  3. Now there's something I really want... by Hans+Lehmann · · Score: 3, Insightful

    "Bots can now respond with GIFs, audio, video, and other files "to help a brand's personality come across," "
    Oh boy, more crap driven by the idiots in marketing.

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    09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C0
  4. Am I missing something? by TigerPlish · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Why would I want to talk to a bot? I mean, Eliza was fun back in the day, Siri is fun to taunt from time to time, but.. why would I want to talk to a bot? (talk, type, whatever. Interact.)

    Now, if this were a sentient android, yes, I probably would. But a bot? A bot that spews trendy chat and gifs? For businesses? What?

    Does not compute.

    --
    The "Civilized World" jumped the shark ca. 1973.