Facebook is using Artificial Intelligence to give users a virtual assistant

Facebook is many things to many people.

It's a live messenger, a games platform, an online photo dump, a news feed, a business space and a place where your mum can upload pictures of cats and daft memes that were funny about five years ago. But now it's also set to be your virtual personal assistant. Mark Zuckerberg is following the likes of Siri and Google Now with Artificial Intelligence software called Facebook M. The Verge report that it's a text-based virtual assistant that deals with your daily wants and needs from ordering breakfast to complaining to Amazon about a lost order. You won't even have to launch your browser Thousands of people across California are testing a Beta version right now which is pitched as a means to setting diary reminders, getting information you don't want to type into Google or finding somewhere to eat locally. Unlike other AI, it's backed up by a team of 'M trainers'  - actual humans dealing with more complex requests behind the scenes to ensure you seamlessly get that Full Irish Breakfast you ordered. But the best part of lifestyle automation reported by The Verge was when they had to make a complaint call to Amazon's customer services line. Facebook M was asked to investigate and was given just an email address and the product name. Then 35 minutes later the problem was resolved without the user even having to sit on the phone on hold to Amazon with that sh*t hold music. What an absolute Godsend. Apparently the software learns problem solving from the human M trainers so one day getting machines to do the menial, soul-destroying tasks in life will all be at the push of a button. What a time to be alive!