Facebook has introduced many new features in the last month, above all to allow developers and companies to take advantage of its immense platform to develop business and to spread services. One of the most relevant new features launched by Facebook concerns its Messenger app and it is the bots that it is already possible to try and that, most likely, will be protagonists of the software evolution of the coming years.
Bots are like applications that are programmed to provide answers to user requests.
In another article, we have, for example, seen which bots to follow on Twitter that give automatic responses depending on what they are told.
The Facebook Messenger Bots work similarly and are like virtual contacts to converse with by asking questions or requesting information.
Messenger Bots are basically company accounts or Facebook pages that are powered by artificial intelligence algorithms that can automatically respond and perform specific tasks.
Bots are able to converse with users using natural language, which can function as automated support or promotion services.
According to Facebook, the Bots could also replace the applications that would be, through the bots, all brought together under the single large hat provided by Facebook Messenger.
Facebook bots are part of the Messenger platform and can only be used with the Messenger app on Android smartphones, iPhones and on the Messenger website.
At the moment there is not yet a Bot Store (which should come soon) where to find bots to add in Facebook Messenger, but it is already possible to try some of them, if you know their name.
To find Facebook bots, open the Messenger application, tap the floating button with the "+" and then on " Search ".
In the search bar at the top, you can search for the bot by writing its name.
To give it a try, you can search for " CNN ".
You will notice, scrolling down the search results, a category with written Bot and companies with the CNN bot under which it is possible to start a conversation.
The search engine is not very flexible and requires, to find a bot, to enter the exact name with upper and lower case.
If no bot is found, waiting for the official store to come out and for the search to be made easier, try going to the Botlist site to find a bot catalog for Facebook Messenger instead.
Each of these can be used by going to its description page and then clicking on the address m.me which opens a conversation on Facebook messenger.
For example, just open the m.me/cnn site to open the CNN bot.
To start using a bot, just write a greeting and then view the bot's instructions or announcements.
The CNN bot can be used from the Facebook Messenger chat to read the latest news of what has happened in the world, without having to open any app and no website.
In addition to CNN, some bots in English can be tried and currently used :
- Wall Street Journal to read news of the day;
- the service to order flowers 1800flowers;
- HP Print, to print images or documents remotely by sending them in chat;
- hiponcho, to get weather forecast;
- Sequel Stories, a very fun interactive story.
That of the stories, Poncho and HP Print Bot are excellent examples of what you can do on Messenger with Bots, to play or to perform tasks as you would with an app.
Although, at the moment, there is not much else to try, the Facebook Messenger bots, as well as those of other platforms such as the Telegram or Kik or Twitter Bots, can really work interactively to give any type of service to the 'user.
For example, you can imagine a bot for the assistance services of companies such as Telecom or Eni, to know costs, consumption and other information as you would when calling a support number.
Everything will then be in the evolution of artificial intelligence and the algorithms that can regulate them and, over time, the bots will become much more functional in the coming times and useful as Facebook really wants them to be.
Those interested in creating a bot for Messenger can read the developer guide starting from this official page.
If you build or know bots in Italian for Messenger, don't forget to leave the link to use it in the comments.
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