If you’re one of the 1.2 million people expected to attend the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, the AskRio2016 chatbot wants to help you navigate the city, find food, and get to the more than 300 events covering 28 sports.
The Facebook Messenger bot has a currency converter, a translator for short sentences in English and Spanish, flight information, and tourist attractions, among other things.
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AskRio2016 has its limitations: It only speaks English and it’s build with simple Facebook Messenger carousels and buttons. And if you ask for directions, you get a link to Google Maps, which takes you outside of Messenger. That said, if you’re in Rio, it might be worth giving it a spin, perhaps in conjunction with the official Olympics website.
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Bots designed to give people information they need for a temporary event have already been used this year for the NBA Finals and at conferences, like VentureBeat’s own MobileBeat.
The 2016 Olympic Games will take place Aug. 5-21 at more than 25 sporting venues in and around Rio de Janeiro.
Festivities begin Friday at Maracanã Stadium, site of the opening ceremony. Athletes from 207 countries will compete in the 2016 Olympic Games.
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