Facebook has revealed M, a smart assistant that should compete with other assistants like Apple's Siri, Google Now and Microsoft's Cortana but is also powered by humans. Facebook's M is currently in beta and only available for hundred users in the San Francisco Bay Area in California. It's unknown when, and if, the assistant will also become available to users in other areas.
The assistant works together with Facebook's messaging app, Messenger. Unlike the other digital assistants, M doesn't work with voice commands, the user has to chat (type) with the assistant. The biggest difference with its competitors is that M isn't entirely computer powered. Although the assistant is powered by artificial intelligence, there are also Facebook employees to guarantee that all requests are answered.
To get assistance from M, users can tap a button in the Messenger app and type a question. Facebook's assistant will then ask follow up questions and perform its task. The user will never know whether he's assisted by a computer or actual human. In it's current state M doesn't use any data from Facebook profiles, but later on it's possible the assistant will, "at some point, with proper user consent", according to David Marcus, vice president of messaging products at Facebook in an interview with Wired.
Facebook might employ thousands of employees to answer questions of users in the future, according to Marcus which could, "do everything from organizing dinner parties to tracking down an unusual beverage in New Orleans".
