Google's Allo chat app hits a downside to AI: Bot must hoard private messages to train itself

Google has launched its new mobile messaging app Allo today in a bid to challenge Facebook's stronghold in instant messaging. Allo differs from Google's previous attempts with Hangouts, Google Talk and Google Chat, as its main power lies in artificial intelligence, apparently. Users will be introduced to a preview edition of the company's AI dogsbody, Google Assistant, which does a job similar to that of Apple's Siri, but isn't yet voice powered in Allo. Typing @google in a chat will wake up Google Assistant to answer any questions or perform a specific job, such as sending a link to a Youtube video without having to close the chat and open a new app. A feature known as Smart Reply pops up with suggestions users can reply with quickly while on the move, sending messages such as "Are you on your way?" or just "yup" with a single tap.