A Framework for Understanding Chatbots and Their Future

Chatbots have rapidly become a mainstay in software development. A range of chatbots contribute regularly to the creation of actual production software. It is somewhat difficult, however, to precisely delineate hype from reality. Questions arise as to what distinguishes a chatbot from an ordinary software tool, what might be desirable properties of chatbots, and where their future may lie. This position paper introduces a starting framework through which we examine the current state of chatbots and identify directions for future work.