National Geographic Kids is the latest publisher to try out chatbots on Facebook Messenger. The chatbot Tina the T-Rex is created to feed childrens’ imaginations and answer their question.
The bot was created for free by tech company RehabStudio, who approached the publisher in April, and will go live on Facebook pages in South Africa, the U.K., Australia and New Zealand for the next week.
Tina is all about virtual learning and discovery. Ask her a question and Tina will happily respond to questions about her favourite topic – herself! Ask her about her size, speed, habitat… just don’t mention the arms!
The first thing Tina says is: “My friends at National Geographic Kids have brought me back from extinction to help you learn about my life. I’m still learning about your world, so I may not have all the answers. To get started, why not ask me about my appearance?”
Gemma Chandler, digital editor of National Geographic KiDS said” Tina is an exciting example of how technology can enhance a child’s learning. Not only is she fun, she’s seriously educational, too, and that’s just what NG Kids is all about. Kids can pick up some great facts about a fascinating topic – even parents will find it addictive!”
Tim Rodgers, founding partner at +rehabstudio said: “Chatbots are popping up everywhere, but Tina is distinctive as an edu-bot, focussing on educating kids on dinosaur facts. It is amazing to have brought a creature that has been extinct for 65 million years back to life.”
Chat to Tina at www.facebook.com/ngkids (UK), www.facebook.com/NationalGeographicKidsSA (South Africa) and www.facebook.com/natgeokidsausnz (Australia & New Zealand).
