Yahoo uses bots to bring the latest news, weather and more to Facebook Messenger

Bots are the interface of the future, or so companies like Microsoft would have us believe. With that said, it’s no surprise that everyone is scrambling to get on board the bot train. In a collaboration with Facebook, Yahoo announced four new bots that will bring the latest news, stock market trends, and weather forecasts to Facebook Messenger users. There’s even a touch of whimsy in the fourth bot, which is a virtual pet monkey that can chat and exchange emojis with you.

The bots – Yahoo Finance, Yahoo News, Yahoo Weather, and MonkeyPet, as they are called – will allow users to access the relevant information without exiting the Messenger app.

All the bots are extremely easy to access. For example, you can simply type @YahooNews in the Messenger search bar on both desktop and mobile in order to message the Yahoo News app for the latest updates. The bot will answer immediately, and may even supply further links or options to help you find out more.

The bots’ responses can even be integrated into your conversations with friends. Information provided by the Yahoo Weather bot can be shared with friends, and you can even set the bot to update you on the weather at fixed times.

Or if you’re feeling bored, you can amuse yourself with the MonkeyPet bot, albeit not for very long.

Whatever you may think of bots as a new way of getting information, they look like they’re here to stay for a while. On Tuesday, the Singapore government announced that public services would now be using intelligent chat bots to deliver government services in a more intuitive way.

Source: Yahoo (Tumblr)

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