Are Chat Apps The New Internet? And are Chatbots the New Websites?

If thinking of a chatbot brings you back to the glory days of AOL Instant Messenger, it’s time for an update.

Chat apps and their AI-driven counterpart—chatbots—are here, and if you aren’t using them now, it’s a safe bet to say you will be soon. Messaging apps are no longer just about chatting with friends. These chat apps now allow users to connect with brands, check out products and engage with content.

Chat apps are nothing new. Whatsapp, WeChat, Slack, Facebook Messenger, are a few of the big apps people have been signing up for over the years. According to Business Insider, they have a higher retention and usage rate than other mobile apps.

According to the company blog, earlier this year,  Whatsapp had one billion people using the app. That’s about one in every seven people on Earth. That’s nothing to scoff at.

Consumers these days are interested in fast, real-time engagement with the brands they know and use. Messaging apps provide that connectivity. Chatbots make it even easier on the brand and the consumer to get what they need in a quick and timely fashion—without having to leave the app.

This past April, Taco Bell launched Tacobot on Slack. Slack is the workplace-messaging app that has been making the workday easier for users by centralizing conversations, sharing files and sending GIFs. Now the purveyor of late night tacos and $1 crunch wraps is here to help Slack users order Taco Bell without leaving their desk. By connecting with Tacobot through a ta.co account, Slack users can place an order, check on their order and choose a pickup location all through the app.

At F8, the Facebook Developer Conference, held on April 12 and 13, 2016, the social media giant announced the launch of its chatbot API for Messenger, the Messenger Platform. These chatbots are aimed at helping businesses better assist their fans through the rich chat app platform, and not simply directing them to a phone number. According to The Next Web, these bots can provide users services like sending links, providing detailed descriptions of items and showing images and videos.

In addition to providing assistance and services, chat bots can also chat with fans and provide information they are looking for in addition to helping to solve any questions or concerns.

However, Artificial Intelligence is not a simple solution to all issues. There still may be instances where a real life human taking over for the bot can provide better customer service for issues. We also know what happened to Microsoft’s Tay, the chatbot that morphed into a racist on Twitter.

As of right now, messaging apps are here to stay. Whether it's making ordering easier, fielding product questions or simply wanting to connect with a large growing segment of consumers—businesses should start looking into how to best leverage this platform.