App of the Week – “M” for Facebook Messenger

Published on September 15, 2015

While the Geek team is still lukewarm about the lack of privacy on the Facebook Messenger app, this is app is now a necessary part of staying social media savvy and engaging with others.

Perhaps Facebook’s newest upgrade to the messaging system will help us rekindle the flame a bit more. “M,” which the company added to a few hundred devices in the Bay area last month but has yet to demonstrate publicly, will work as a digital personal assistant and is expected to outdo Siri, Cortana, and Google Now in terms of speed and function.

This is due in part to M’s hybrid blend of artificial intelligence and human support. Essentially, if the computer brain can’t answer your question or fulfill a task, a human brain will. Facebook has team of folks behind screens to help with trickier inquiries and judgement calls, helping users do everything from book a table to make doctor’s appointment.