Bots and AI: What Is a Bot Platform, Exactly?

The major providers in the AI bot space offer similar services but use different terminology. The term "bot platform" was first used by Syd Lawrence and his company, The Bot Platform, before it became widely adopted. A bot platform is a system that allows users to create their own app messaging bots, with Syd's company offering a service solution where they help build out the bot for users or with them to begin with. Microsoft's framework, also known as a development kit or SDK, is used to build bots that can be made available on multiple channels such as Skype, Facebook Messenger, and Slack. The concept of the framework is similar to Java's "Write once, run everywhere" idea, aiming to simplify development by allowing developers to create one bot that can be easily deployed across different channels without requiring significant additional work. Microsoft also offers various services, including natural language understanding using LUIS, which can be added to a bot for more accurate results.