Google is building a new mobile-messaging service that taps its artificial intelligence know-how and so-called chatbot technology to try to catch up with rivals including Facebook Inc. in the fast-growing arena.
To messaging friends, users of the unnamed service could engage with chatbots to get answers to questions they may otherwise use Google’s search engine for. The company would steer users to specific chatbots, much as its search engine directs users to relevant websites. Additionally, Google may open the service to third-party developers who would build their own bots to run on the service.
Though it’s unclear when such a messaging app would launch, Google has reportedly been working on it for “at least a year,” and the company even tried to acquire 200 Labs — a startup that creates chatbots.
Google is far from the first tech company to integrate artificial intelligence into a messaging product. Facebook is also working on an A.I.-based assistant, which is part of the company’s Messenger app.— Facebook will likely aim to reduce its dependence on humans as it looks to expand it to more people.
Messaging apps are among the most popular apps on any platform, particularly in Asia where apps like WeChat dominate many aspects of daily life. Though Google hasn’t been very successful with prior attempts at social services, the company is likely hoping it will be able to both reach new users and keep existing ones engaged as messaging platforms become more ubiquitous.
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