Google's new chat app promises to stand out from a crowded field by bringing artificial intelligence into conversations. But it turns out to be frustrating and unhelpful.
By Brian X Chen
You may now have more messaging apps than you have close friends.
As of this week, there are six prominent chat apps in the United States - or as I see it, one too many. The latest to join the horde is Allo, Google's highly anticipated messaging app that lets people take advantage of artificial intelligence to chat and make plans. Google began offering the smarter app on Wednesday.
Allo is appearing at a time when smartphones are already crowded with chat apps. IMessage from Apple is prominent among iPhone owners. Facebook Messenger is widely used on that social network. Also popular is WhatsApp, the chat service from Facebook that has largely replaced text messaging internationally. Add to the list Slack, a group chat tool that is popular among businesses, and Google Hangouts, which was released in 2013, and you have six.