Bots are computer programs that simulate conversations with humans, only with no direct human involvement. In other words, there is no “man behind the curtain.” Everything the bot needs to know to converse with a real human is built into its algorithm. This concept is also known as artificial intelligence, or AI.

Essentially, an app (short for application) is any program on a hand-held device. But as the line has blurred between computers and phones, and as almost every type of device has become portable, the term “app” has broadened to describe almost any software program.

Apps are already so entrenched that it would be shortsighted to eschew them as a reaction to the burgeoning chatbot movement, but it would also be foolish to exclude bots from future marketing plans. Rather, integrating chatbots into an existing mobile and web app strategy is the wisest path.