Google is Working on a New Messenger App

Google is working on a new messenger app that will make use of its artificial intelligence know-how and 'chatbot' technology to rival Facebook and others, reports the WSJ. The new service will hopefully improve on its current Hangouts and Messenger services.

For its new service, Google, a unit of Alphabet Inc., plans to integrate chatbots, software programs that answer questions inside a messaging app, the people familiar with the matter said. Users will be able to text friends or a chatbot, which will scour the Web and other sources for information to answer a question, those people said. It is unclear when Google will launch the service, or what it will be called. Also in doubt is whether the new approach will be more successful than the company’s prior efforts. Users typically join messaging services because they know other users; Google has struggled to create such network effects with both Hangouts and Messenger.

A team has been working on the new service for a least a year, led by Google veteran Nick Fox, according to sources. Fox was named VP of Communications earlier this year.


It's said that instead of searching Google like normal, users will be able to send questions as text messages. A chatbot will then respond to the question. It possible that third party chatbots could be allowed to run on the service and Google would direct users to specific ones.

More details in the full report linked below...

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