Why Facebook is going all in on chatbots

The arrival of bots to Facebook's Messenger app has the potential to transform how people communicate with brands, but analysts said the fight for consumers' attention in this emerging space is just beginning. "There will be a lot of excitement about the potential for these bots," said Macquarie analyst Ben Schachter. "We are somewhat more cautious." As the marketplace for apps rapidly matures -- most people spend 84% of their time in just five apps each month, according for Forrester -- companies will increasingly try to get user's attention via those most-popular apps. Facebook has a big advantage here, because brands and companies naturally want to be where users are, and Facebook's Messenger app currently has 900 million monthly active users and Facebook's WhatsApp has more than a billion monthly active users.