Facebook launches digital assistant 'M' in US

Facebook has launched its digital assistant named'M' for US users of its Messenger application, ramping up the social network's efforts in artificial intelligence. For users of the messaging platform, M will pop up and suggest'helpful actions' in the chat window. The move is seen as the first step in a broader launch of the digital assistant to compete against services from Google, Amazon, Microsoft, Apple and Samsung, which is launching its new assistant with its newest smartphone. Facebook has launched its digital assistant named'M' for US users of its Messenger application, ramping up the social network's efforts in artificial intelligence. M will pop up and suggest'helpful actions' in the chat window - such as getting you rides or sharing stickers M is capable of recognizing intent in a conversation, which allows it to perform a range of different tasks.