Portuguese version of this article.

Even if you haven’t used chat bots yet, you probably heard about them and about how they are about to disrupt the tech sector. Or are they?

One of the main topics being discussed is whether or not bots will substitute mobile apps, and in this article I’ll share my views on this issue. Keep in mind that we all (in the Occident at least) have had limited interactions with chat bots so far, and my opinions below reflect that. I might need to change them as things evolve.

Where Bots Will Shine: Conversations

After having interacted with a handful of bots, I concluded that they add more value and feel more natural when they are used in situations and contexts where I would expect to have a conversation in the first place.

For instance, interacting with a chat bot to order some food (provided the bot is smart and efficient enough) feels natural and certainly more efficient than having to dial to the restaurant in question, especially because the bot can remember my name, address, payment method and last order, which should speed things up from the second order onward.

Other examples of contexts that would imply a conversation, and thus where bots would integrate smoothly:

– getting customer support
– asking for random bits of information (e.g., address or phone number of some place)
– scheduling an appointment
– making a restaurant or hotel reservation

Where Bots Don’t Belong: Content and News

One of the first bots I interacted with was TechCrunch’s one. Once you tell it that you desire to subscribe, it will send you a daily digest with the latest TechCrunch headlines. The first time I received I thought “Cool,” and glimpsed over the titles. The second time the notication came to my Messenger app I was slightly annoyed and didn’t bother to read the headlines. The third time I unsubscribed.

It might just be me, but it doesn’t feel valuable or natural to receive news headlines or content on my Messenger app. When I want to read the news I visit a couple of websites (TechCrunch being one of them), or I check what people are sharing on Facebook, Twitter, etc. I don’t even use Flipboard anymore these days, let alone have a chat bot that keeps bugging me with headlines every single day!

There are some types of content comsunption that still make me wonder whether bots would an appropropriate delivery channel or not. For instance, would it be useful to receive stock alerts via a chat bot? I suspect that the professional or very active investor wouldn’t like it because he gets his information from other sources already, and the casual investor wouldn’t like it either because it would feel like an annoyance. I am not sure though.

Which Mobile Apps Will Be Substituted: Simple and Specific Ones

In my opinion the apps that will be substituted by chat bots are those that provide a very simple and very specific functionality.

For example, last week I was traveling and I noticed that each of the airports I went through had its own mobile app. The last thing I want is to download a new mobile app just to get some flight information, especially if I’ll need one different app for each airport.

If there was a chat bot I could text to get flight information across all airports I certainly would have used it.

The Hybrid Approach: Bots + Apps

Another trend that will happen in my opinion is the hybrid approach. That is, chat bots might become the first point of contact of many mobile apps. You interact with the bot to get started or get some basic information, and if you need the full experience or functionality the bot directs you to download the app.

Bots might also provide an alternative interface to some apps. For instance, Uber might allow its users to ask for cars from Facebook Messenger or WhatsApp, even though the core for the service will be using the mobile app.

Still to be Seen: Marketing

Many companies are going crazy about the marketing opportunities that chat bots will create. For instance, imagine a billboard that encourages users to text “Hi” to a specific bot to enter into a contest. After that the bot could:

– ask participants to go through a survey, gathering valuable data
– send coupons to the participants, driving more sales
– send messages over time to build a relationship with the customers
– ask users for suggestions about new products and services

What I am not sure about is how users would respond to each of those interactions. Would they find them useful? Would they find them acceptable as long as they get something in return (i.g., a cool prize or discounts)? Would they hate it and stop chatting with the bot immediately?

Time will tell where chat bots will be valuable and popular. And those of us who can foresee it will probably get a headstart.