Messenger chatbots

Meetup
Chambéry

05/02/2018

Thibault Friedrich

Frontend Developer and Ux researcher

Curious about all new user interfaces

(VR, AR, virtual assistants, etc)

Today

Messenger chatbots  

Chatbot

Meant to dialog with users on chat platforms

Artificial intelligence (more or less intelligent)

Benefits of chatbots

• integrated in a platform
  • ready in one click
  • access to the user profile
• customized user experience
  • more natural
  • infinite possibilites
• push notifications

Messenger chatbots are chatbots on steroids

(in comparison of standard applications)

Agenda

From scratch

• easier to understand
• adaptable to all chat bots (slack, etc)

Main steps to achieve a first POC
Messenger capabilities

Further improvements to do

New Facebook policy

Series fan

• Get information about a series
• Set up notifications about my favorites series releases

Node.js application

First setup

• Facebook page
• Facebook developer account
• Facebook app
• Https proxy
• Http server
  • express server
  • facebook messenger bot middleware

ngrok

https

https://16d29ab7.ngrok.io

tcp

http 8080

Basic reply

• Set up credentials
• Install messenger-bot
• Reply text
• Let's go!

More human reply

• Mark as seen
• Show typing
• Wait 2 seconds

The user doesn't know if it is a bot or a human behind.

First customized response

• Give details about a series
• TheTVDB.com API
• Text format

Bullet proof user experience?

Widgets!

• List (4 items max.)
• Best of the 2 worlds
• cf Facebook API

And so much more...

Further improvements

• Handle several languages
• Use Natural Language Processing (NLP)
  • facebook
  • wit.ai
• Database
• Rock solid state machine
  • Ensure no deadlocks
• Deploy the application
  • review

New Facebook policy

• More privacy
• Application reviews

Thank you