Welcome to the “new internet.” Okay, maybe we won’t take it that far yet. But chatbots are taking the internet and messaging apps by storm. And for the first time, people are using messenger apps more than they are using social networks.

Already there are countless chatbots available to consumers, ranging from fun to functional: grocery bot, weather bot, personal finance bot, gym bot, etc. Right now, these bots can either be programmed based on a set of rules or as a more advanced chatbot that uses machine learning. Rules-based chatbots can only respond to specific commands made by the user and can be difficult to use. If the user says the wrong thing, the chatbot won’t understand. Machine-learning chatbots, however, have artificial intelligence that not only understands commands but also understands language. The bot gets smarter as it has more conversations.

Of course, these chatbots are still in developing stages and have many glitches that will need to be addressed. To prepare for the future, smart brands should take time to experiment and learn about the capabilities of chatbots.

Then, as the technology evolves, they will be able to utilize chatbots for empowering customer service, simplifying purchases, and as a virtual concierge for work and personal life.