Chatbots are growing in popularity, driven predominantly by better AI and younger users born since the mid 1990s, also known as Generation Z. Currently, the top four mobile messaging apps have more registered users and higher retention rates than the top four social networks. With around 11,000 bots available on the Facebook Messenger service, and 6,000 new bots unveiled on Kik in June of this year alone, Generation Z are early adopters of this simpler and more appealing messaging channel offered by bots. Around 1.4 billion users a month spend on average 23 minutes on a messaging platform, meaning that businesses funding bot development are likely to ensure it is a large part of the next stage of chat innovation. Meanwhile, consumers are no longer downloading multiple messaging services, and research shows that 88% of users are spending their time on their device using only five apps. This means developers need no longer develop new services and have new apps approved, but can instead maintain and update existing chat apps with new code and innovation, opening a path for evolving chatbots.Â
