Are chatbots an evolution or a revolution?

Chatbots are a hot topic in tech -- positioned at the intersection of many macro tech trends like the rise of artificial intelligence, messaging apps surpassing social apps in users, and enterprises struggling with customer acquisition and engagement on mobile. Investment dollars are gushing into the leading messaging apps, and all of the tech giants have announced significant new initiatives. If you have ever used Amazon Alexa, you can see what the hype is about. But will chatbots be as revolutionary as the hype would have it? To predict how chatbots will evolve, we can look to Asia, a region that has led the West in this space. WeChat is often cited as the poster child for chatbots.