Streamlining government services with bots

What if you could get anything you wanted just by asking for it? It sounds like a fantastical prospect, but this kind of interaction now appears to be the goal of a category of software tools called "bots." Bots have long been used to automate repetitive computing tasks, but are now increasingly used to communicate directly with users. These artificial intelligence programs mimic human speech to answer questions, order products, and complete many other tasks. Several technology companies are working on integrating bots into their own products and competing to add functionality.