6 unusual Facebook Messenger chatbots you should try

Chatbots for Facebook Messenger are in that awkward phase of development when they are mostly a proof of concept and a way to demonstrate potential. Most of the bots available today do not quite match the artificial intelligence you’ll find in a Tesla or at Google. However, they are easily accessible through the Messenger app (you can see the latest chats at the top of the screen on your phone). Many are powerful and useful, including the new Yahoo Weather bot. They’re about to improve radically this year (find out more about the latest developments this coming week at MobileBeat 2016) but, for now, here are a few unusual bots you can try.

1. 36LoveQuestions

Here’s the chatbot you want before you go out on that next date. The bot asks you exactly 36 questions to determine if you are in love with someone. It’s a bit clunky, since you have to type a number to get the corresponding question, but the quiz makes it easier to be honest with yourself.

2. Shepbot

Easily the strangest chatbot you’ll find today, this bot will ask for your prayer requests and can post them in a public forum for others to see. Once again, it points to a trend of humans chatting with bots about things they might not otherwise share.

3. Gymbot

An example of a bot that only accepts specific commands, this bot lets you enter your workouts, such as how far you ran or biked in a day. It tracks your fitness, but don’t expect it to offer any encouragement or ask you to do more hills in a day, as it doesn’t have other built-in intelligence.

4. Fatherly’s Dad Joke

This chatbot lets you grab a dad joke for those times when you can’t think of one on your own. The jokes are all pretty terrible, but it’s somewhat entertaining to keep asking for jokes until you find one you like. Also, the bot sits within Messenger away from your home screen.

5. ShelfJoy

This bot lets you look through the virtual bookshelves of other users, most notably Bill Gates. You browse through the “hand-picked” selections and can read summaries. The bot then provides a direct link to that selection on Amazon, which is handy.

6. Psydekick

This bot won’t make you believe in artificial intelligence all over again, but it’s definitely weird. It lets you ask for fortune cookie predictions and ask about upcoming events. It’s good for a quick laugh, even if the predictions — as in real life — could apply to anyone.