[palakchokshi]

I think more than conversational commerce the true power of BOTs will be conversational planning assistance within chat. Imagine a personal assistant always available in your chats with friends that can help you plan dinners by finding restaurants everyone would like, making reservations, booking movie tickets, putting the event on everyone's calendars, sending reminders, giving directions to locations when you leave for the event, etc. now that's powerful and useful.

[estefan]

> now that's powerful and useful

Maybe, but how could a company apart from FB monetise that?

This seems like a very risky opening for all but a few strong brands ("Get me an Uber to blah blah blah", etc) since they'll have no control over the platform and I imagine be quite difficult to remind users they exist. At least apps have icons to remind users they installed them.

[palakchokshi]

Chatbots like JEEVES will have the same problem that apps currently do: discoverability. But once discovered and installed JEEVES could potentially chime in in a conversation with offer to help e.g. if JEEVES sees friends planning to meet up JEEVES can start by offering to put it on their calendars.

[visakanv]

I have always wanted this, so badly.

[palakchokshi]

Here's how I envision that use case with a bot called JEEVES.

ME: Hey have you guys watched Zootopia yet?

FRIEND 1: Nah I want to but didn't have the time. I'm free tonight if you want to go.

FRIEND 2: Yeah count me in too

ME: JEEVES find us a movie theater close to us that's playing Zootopia tonight.

JEEVES: There are 3 theaters close to all of you that's playing Zootopia tonight. Theater 1 at (map)Location 1 is playing it at 9PM, Theater 2 at (map)Location 2 is playing it at 8:30PM, Theater 3 at (map)Location 3 is playing it at 10:PM

ME: you guys wanna get dinner before the movie?

FRIEND 1: Sure

FRIEND 2: Nah having dinner with GF's parents today.

ME: JEEVES find us some chinese restaurants near Theater 3.

so on and so on.

JEEVES can then book tickets, make a reservation, put the event on calendars, send restaurant location to just the 2 people who agreed to have dinner, send reminder in the group chat, etc.

[LouisSayers]

I believe this violates the single responsibility principle...

But seriously, do you really want all the Jeeves text showing up in your chat? Isn't that kind of annoying - like showing your friends your working when trying to give them the answer to a math equation?

[palakchokshi]

As it should violate because single responsibility is not applicable to this use case.

JEEVES text showing up in our chat is useful when I ask JEEVES to do something for us. Remember JEEVES does not show up till we ask for "it". Also remember this conversation is about planning to meet up for a movie not discussing some topic or sharing some content or having witty back and forth.

[LouisSayers]

My point isn't whether it could be useful, but that it might be more annoying to have that in a chat conversation...

I was half joking about the single responsibility thing - I do kind of think though that chat should be for chat, and not for searching for movie timetables.

[estefan]

How does the company behind Jeeves make money?

[aaronbrethorst]

How do OpenTable and Fandango make money?

[palakchokshi]

Exactly! Monetization through partnerships with service providers or affliate programs or service promotion (e.g. a new chinese restaurant opened if you would like to try it)

[rm_-rf_slash]

Facebook buys MAGIC?