Bots, explained: What is a bot, who’s making them, and why | Re/code

From a timely bot market dynamics reality check

"Where did the idea for bots come from?
Bots have been around for more than 50 years. With the recent global boom in mobile messaging apps, such as WeChat, Facebook Messenger and Slack, they’re seen as increasingly relevant. They’ve likely been right under your nose. The first bots on Twitter starting rolling out in 2006.

Why are we hearing so much about them now?
One key reason: The technology that powers bots, artificial intelligence software, is improving dramatically, thanks to heightened interest from key Silicon Valley powers like Facebook and Google. That AI enables computers to process language — and actually converse with humans — in ways they never could before. It came about from unprecedented advancements in software (Google’s Go-beating program, for example) and hardware capabilities."

Bots, explained: What is a bot, who’s making them, and why | Re/code