The case for chatbots being the new apps - notes from #WebSummit2016

On the basis of the amount of start-ups working on bot related activities at Web Summit 2016, it would seem as if bots may be about to become mainstream after all. I counted 23 bot related companies exhibiting at the early stage (Alpha) area at Web Summit last week. These included bots for different kinds of services as well as bot building platforms. A year ago, this area might have been taken up by start-ups working on mobile apps. Is this a clear sign that bots are about to move beyond the nascent stage?