Google’s New Smart AI Messenger

According to Portio Research, more than 2 Billion people use messaging applications. It is well agreed that messaging has evolved since Yahoo! Messenger and Skype. Connecting people 24x7, people prefer to stay in touch using text messaging due to its availability and ease-of-use. Chatbots were considered spam, until people started using them for ‘better’ purposes. Now, Google is reportedly working on building a smart messenger powered by artificial intelligence.

WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps available in the market today. With over 700 million active users monthly, WhatsApp has surpassed both Google Hangouts and Messenger. Google tried to buy WhatsApp in early 2014, however, Facebook acquired it for $19 Billion. Considering this, what most people have to agree, chatbots are the future of messaging.

A chatbot, or chatterbot, is a computer program that attempts to simulate an intelligent conversation with human users through text or audio. Although most would assume chatbots to be spammy in nature, they can actually be helpful to users.

Google’s VP of Communications, Nick Fox, is the team lead for the intelligent messaging service. Since 2014, the team has been working on utilizing Google’s expertise in AI, machine learning and its vast amount of resources in building computer bots to understand natural human language commands.

The smart AI messaging service will be a help to users who do not want to spend time typing a query into the search engine when searching for information. The process goes something like this: Users will text a message to the chatbot, after which it will search the web and other apps & sources for answers to the query.

Google might allow other developers to build chatbots to integrate into the service.

In October 2015, Google attempted to acquire 200 Labs, a startup that specializes in building chatbots. They have a marketplace and rating service for chatbots on Telegram with hundreds of chatbots. Each bot specializes in areas like image search, news, dating, weather, etc. However, 200 Labs declined the acquisition offer by the search engine giant.

Other companies are also trying their hand at this type of messaging. Kik and WeChat, popular chat networks, already have implemented chatbots in their service. WeChat, for example, allows users to book appointments, shop and pay their bills.

Facebook is testing its ‘M’ service, a digital virtual assistant designed to use artificial intelligence to accomplish various tasks of Facebook users such as choosing restaurants, booking appointments, shopping and travelling through text messaging. However, earlier versions of the app will use humans as intermediaries.