Google Steps Ups Its Game in Chatbot Race with API.ai Acquisition

In an unexpected twist in the tech world, Google made a surprise acquisition this week. Contrary to the swirling speculations that it would acquire Twitter, the software-giant acquired API.ai, a company known for providing an effective platform for developers to build chatbots. The acquisition deal was sealed for an unknown amount and further cemented Google’s headquarters’ dominance on its home turf of California.

In the words of Scott Huffman, Google’s Vice President of Engineering, API.ai’s remarkable tools for constructing conversational apps for service mediums like Facebook and Slack—the popular team messaging platform—have already attracted over 60,000 developers to put their skills into practice.

This acquisition shines a light on Google’s strategic shift towards chatbots to pit against Facebook, which had announced its own corresponding initiative in April. Since then, a staggering 34,000 developers have created over 30,000 chatbots – all within a six-month period. This development has led to intriguing discussions suggesting that the rise of the bot economy is outpacing the performance of the mobile app during its comparably nascent six month phase.

When it comes to the sheer number of developers committed to shaping both technologies, it seems the bot has gained significant momentum over the app. You can delve deeper into the application vs. bot debate in our comprehensive [report here](http://techbooky.com/its-apps-vs-bots-in-fight-for-the-future/).

API.ai’s CEO, Ilya Gelfenbeyn, echoed these speculations in a separate [blog post](https://api.ai/blog/2016/09/19/api-ai-joining-google/), expressing gratitude towards their customers, developers, partners, employees, advisors, and investors. He showed his excitement for the future as a part of the Google family and appreciates the unwavering support of all parties involved in bringing the company to this juncture.

Reiterating its plans to be at the forefront of the chatbot revolution, Google had earlier unveiled Allo, also based primarily on chatbot technology. Following the acquisition of API.ai, Google aims to take chatbot technology to unprecedented heights. As we join Huffman in holding our breath for more exciting developments on this front, we invite you to stay tuned to this space for the latest updates.