Microsoft acquires Semantic Machines in push toward conversational AI

Microsoft today announced that it has acquired Berkeley, California-based AI company Semantic Machines. The acquisition, Microsoft says, will help it build upon its burgeoning AI efforts to make speaking with digital assistants like Cortana and bots more like carrying on a natural conversation. Currently, interacting with bots and digital assistants involves issuing simple commands or queries, such as asking for the latest sports score or setting a reminder. Going forward, Microsoft wants to evolve these interactions to be much closer to how you would speak another human. That's where Semantic Machines comes in.