The Day Is Coming When Customer Service Will Be Run by Chatbots

Facebook has almost 2B active users. At a developer conference today, the company announced plans to connect even more, and Mark Zuckerberg hinted at a near-future scenario where AI-controlled bots will answer basic questions via the Messenger app. Why is that such a big announcement? Because 2016 is the year of the chatbots, a turning point when the AI that drives these machines can imitate human speech, respond to queries, help you find the right product online, and troubleshoot problems. In fact, while there is no way to prove it, there's a good chance you have already chatted online with a customer service bot--say, at one of those pop-ups you see at an online store or when you visit a big-name brand site.