Facebook has introduced a number of new chatbots to its Messenger platform, which will enable users make personal purchases using the app.
The app now features the ability to order flowers, simply by having a conversation with an automated assistant at the 1-800 Flowers’ account.
During the conversation, buyers will ask the bot for suggestions, which will respond in kind. Ordering can then take place through payment details set up in Facebook.
Spring will ask multiple choice questions in order to provide users with gender, price and garment-specific options.
The capabilities of the shopping bots were first previewed at Facebook F8 last year, and it’s taken the social network a year to get them up and running.
See also: Facebook F8: What happened last year
Aside from shopping, Facebook also announced that CNN is launching a chatbot that would enable users to receive news reports by engaging in conversation on Messenger.
A HP bot will make it easy for users to print a photo from Facebook by chatting with the bot.
The company has also released a Bot Engine, which will allow developers to create smarter tools.
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Editorial independence
Editorial independence means being able to give an unbiased verdict about a product or company, with the avoidance of conflicts of interest. To ensure this is possible, every member of the editorial staff follows a clear code of conduct.
Professional conduct
We also expect our journalists to follow clear ethical standards in their work. Our staff members must strive for honesty and accuracy in everything they do. We follow the IPSO Editors’ code of practice to underpin these standards.