Facebook Launches 'Agents On Messenger' Platform With Chatbots (techcrunch.com) 46
Josh Constine, reporting for TechCrunch: Facebook will now allow businesses to deliver automated customer support, ecommerce guidance, content, and interactive experience through "Bots on Messenger", Facebook's term for chatbots. By providing utility through its huge developer and business ecosystem, Facebook could boost loyalty with Messenger, one-up SMS, and keep up chat competitors like Kik, Line and Telegram that have their own bot platforms. Beyond just text, chatbots will be able to respond with structured messages that include images, links, and call to action buttons. These could let users make a restaurant reservation, review an ecommerce order, and more. Facebook is not the only company -- let alone the first -- which has a bot store. Messaging apps Telegram and Kik offer similar functionalities. Popular communication service Slack has also been ramping up its efforts around bots and figuring out different ways to enhance its customers' experience. Two weeks ago, Microsoft also announced a bot platform.
Chatbots? (Score:3)
Small words (Score:3)
The big words like "auto-responder" are out of favor today. Small buzzy words are where the big money comes from! When you go on vacation, make sure you use your afkbot in your email.
Re:Chatbots? (Score:4, Insightful)
own web browser? check
walled garden? check
now chatbots????
Re: (Score:2)
everyday facebook becomes more an more like AOL circa 95-99
I hear their next project involves simulating a busy signal [cnet.com] for 80% of the customer base when they try to log in.
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Almost - they still need the cheesy sound effects and the timer/meter.
Oh, and USENET... it definitely needs some sort of connection to USENET, so that the users can flood it with astoundingly stupid posts...
Another Nail (Score:2)
Or is it a Straw?
Eventually, all this asshattery on the part of Facebook will kill it deader than AOL.
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What would happen if one of these commercial bots has a spontaneous, uncontrollable penis panic while chatting with a customer?
What if the customer asks a legitimate question, and the bot goes haywire and repeatedly replies with:
The customer would not be pleased, I can assure you, if one of these business bots goes crazy like that!
My anus is bleeding.
My ANUS is BLEEDING.
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD AND ALL THAT IS HOLY, MY ANUS IS BLEEDING!
I live in a giant bucket...
Re: And when are they going to fix chat in their (Score:1)
I recall them admitting it was a social experiment to determine if users would continue to use broken crap.
What the...?! (Score:5, Insightful)
OK I officially don't get it. OLD MAN CHECKING IN HERE!!
Is anybody actually interested in interacting with machines via chatbots? Seriously.
The Japanese, they are geniuses. In Tokyo, every three square feet that doesn't have anything in it, they put a vending machine. Pepsi, water, coffee hot or cold, sandwiches, anything you want, you can get from a vending machine. Push a few buttons and it's yours. Don't worry about going to a store and talking to someone. And now here, we have the fuckin brilliant idea that we want machines to talk like people so you have to waste your time talking to them instead of just pushing the button.
What. The. FUCK?
It reminds me of the whole virtual reality/cyberspace craze back in the 90s. Everybody was so excited about the idea that you would be flying through space modeled with 3D graphics to get to whatever you needed on the internet ... when we ALREADY HAD everything on the internet right at our fingertips and we didn't have to waste our time "going" anywhere ... when eliminating distance and scarcity was the WHOLE POINT of the internet.
Who are these people and where do they come up with their dumb fuckin ideas?
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Of course, business doesn't want to pony up for expensive and troublesome flesh and blood, so we get the horrible mutation of fake people which nobody really wants.
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Japan is an interesting case. Customer service is a BIG DEAL to the Japanese, but so is convenience. If you are going to take the effort to enter a store, it will follow some degree of ritual and the staff will be very attentive.
On the other hand, there are products that people want, but either want immediately or are moderately ashamed of buying. For those purchases, vending machines offer the anonymity and speed to meet both motives.
Japan is also working hard in various fields of robotics and "simple m
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On the other hand, there are products that people want, but either want immediately or are moderately ashamed of buying. For those purchases, vending machines offer the anonymity and speed to meet both motives.
It's like buying weird sex toys or small condoms. Do you prefer doing it in person, paying cash but having to face a person, or order online and attach that purchase to your credit card statement.
Re: What the...?! (Score:1)
Dedicated chat bots are stupid, but if you can tell a bot to do X, and it does X, it is programming through natural language, that is pretty neat.
I expect to see a bot blocker though, bots exist to take up your time and attention. People feel it is rude to not interact, even if it is a machine.
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Dedicated chat bots are stupid, but if you can tell a bot to do X, and it does X, it is programming through natural language, that is pretty neat.
I guess I have yet to see a concrete example of what all these bot freaks are talking about.
When I can say into thin air, "Make me a sandwich" and a machine will produce whichever sandwich I usually eat on Tuesdays, I suppose that would be pretty impressive. Somehow I don't get the impression that's what this hype is about, though.
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Is it something you're entitled to, need or that will cost someone else time and/or money? Then CHATBOTS ARE FOR YOU!
You thought interactive voice prompting was slow and frustrating? Wait until you get a load of chatbots. No way to "zero" out to an operator or some other menu. You're stuck with "Saro" our virtual assistant. And since chats have persistence, you can't just call back and start over. Our bots will remember the EXACT place in existential hell you were stuck before so we can quickly and ea
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Is anybody actually interested in interacting with machines via chatbots?
Have you ever waited 10 minutes to chat with an uninterested customer service rep who barely spoke your language? Bots would be an improvement.
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Maybe. I would be impressed if someone showed me a chatbot that I could pull up and say, "There was an extra $10 charge on my cable bill this month, can you explain?" and the interaction would end with the charge being removed.
I have a hard time believing this "technology" will yield anything better than the infuriatingly scripted interactions we have with call center workers today. The only benefit is for companies who can now cancel their contracts with their offshore call centers.
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Did you see Watson demolish Ken Jennings on Jeopardy?
IBM didn't do all of that R&D to impress Alex Trebec. The plan is for Watson to replace customer service reps.
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Is anybody actually interested in interacting with machines via chatbots? Seriously.
No, but a lot of people vastly prefer getting in touch with a real person even though there's a perfectly adequate self-service solution. But that is expensive and require training, we're trying to pass off chatbots as a poor man's substitute. Now I really don't have a problem navigating my online bank, but my mom.... I could totally see this conversation happening:
"Hi, this is Vici (VIrtual Customer Interface). How may I help you?"
"I'd like to pay a bill."
"Sure, do you have the recipients name or account n
Glad they're letting us know (Score:1)
Since I don't have a Facebook account, I'll have to be sure I'm not doing business with these companies.
Re: (Score:3)
In an average day, how many times do you mention that you don't have a Facebook account?
Re: (Score:2)
A year ago it was about a dozen. Now it's down to two or three.
And hence Facebook's problem. They're no longer relevant.
Umm, what? (Score:2)
I for one welcome our Chatbot Overlords (Score:1)
I for one welcome our FB neo-nazi chatbot overlords.
Oh, wait, no, I don't.
Thanks but no thanks. (Score:2)
One more reason I am never installing Messenger anywhere.
Maybe more like 'SPAMbots'? (Score:2)
Rolls right off the tongue - FB Agents (Score:2)
Hey hon - I just have my new "friend" the FB Agent - can you please tell him your phone number so I can have him call you back with canned message about not pirating DVDs?