Microsoft launches Bot Framework to let developers build their own chatbots

Microsoft today is introducing the Bot Framework, a new tool in preview to help developers build their own chatbots for their applications. There is also a new bot directory full of sample bots -- like the BuildBot -- that Microsoft is showing off today at the company's Build developer conference in San Francisco. A BotBuilder software development kit (SDK) is available on GitHub under an open source MIT license. These bots can be implemented into a variety of applications, including Slack or Telegram or even email. "Bots are like new applications," Microsoft chief executive Satya Nadella said.