EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: There is a long way to go before bots can become efficient and understand what a user wants, said App Annie CEO Bertrand Schmitt (pictured), adding there was a lot of hype last year around bots, but this has since died down.

The hype was partly as a result of Facebook launching bot support for its Messenger platform but Schmitt said bots are not a “perfect solution to everything”.

Arguing against claims bots could replace apps, he told Mobile World Live there is room for integration between the two, but “apps are here to stay”.

Developers need to work on creating bots that better understand what a user wants before they can expect widespread adoption, and this could take a few years, he said. When bots take off, customer service and support are probably the best use cases for the technology, Schmitt added.

He also spoke about the potential for augmented and virtual reality in mobile gaming, although he believes it will be very difficult for developers to replicate the success of Pokemon Go.

Click here for the full interview.