Chatbots: how artificial intelligence is starting to run our homes

My secretary, Amy Ingram (AI – geddit?), is designed to help people organise their diaries and set up meetings. That's all she can do. But she goes about it in a freakishly human-like way. In fact, after using her for a couple of weeks, various contacts of mine – after communicating with her over email – said they had no idea she was not a real person. For her to do her job, you need to give her access to your electronic diary, set a few preferences (your three favourite coffee shops to meet in, for example), and copy her into any emails about meetings you want to set up.