Messaging as a Platform: The State of Human to Machine Communications

Conversational user experiences, in the form of chatbots and voice interfaces, are overtaking many of the traditional ways in which we interact with machines. Since the rise of computers, human-machine interfaces typically had some form of Graphical User Interface (GUI) which enabled direct (if limited) interaction with devices and their programs, for instance via software installs, mobile apps, and web-based applications such as Software as a Service (SaaS). No matter how "beautiful" the respective interface, this GUI is now more and more replaced by a Conversational User Interface (CUI). Other still evolving interface styles are less text- and voice-driven, and therefore limit the messaging element to certain basic functions such as taking photos with the blink of an eye (smart glasses or smart cameras such as Blincam can do that today) but will eventually allow for richer interaction gestures (see project Soli). When coupled with an input-output feedback loop, so-called bionic lenses also hold a promising future.