Chatbots could be next for consumer engagement

CEO of Facebook Mark Zuckerberg has suggested that chatbots are the next step for the social media giant at last month's F8 developer conference.

When laying out his ten-year roadmap for the platform, chatbots were at the forefront of his plans, as even more brands are seen to adopt this new era of "conversational commerce", a term created by Uber's Chris Messina.

"You should be able to message a business in the same way you’d message a friend," Mr Zuckerberg stated, as he discussed how Facebook's chatbots will allow partner brands to connect with consumers.

They will be powered by artificial intelligence, enabling conversations surrounding orders, customer service enquiries and more.