Will chatbots be bigger than mobile apps?

Are bots the new apps? Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella reckons they are. Bots sometimes get a bad rap, but here are a few that will brighten your feeds. This week, Kik – a messaging app popular with teenagers – launched a "Bot Shop" where users can interact with brands or play games with chat bots instead of talking to their real friends. American Tex-Mex chain Taco Bell launched the TacoBot, which lets you order lunch directly from Slack, a work chat platform.