SMU School of Information Systems alumnus Abhilash Murthy has created an automated chatbot (Bus Uncle) that tells users what bus they can take to get to their desired location and how long they will need to wait. Bus Uncle has spread like wildfire, with more than 16,000 users liking the chatbot’s page since it went live on October 20. During peak hours, it receives 40 to 50 requests per minute. Due to the runaway success of his chatbot, Mr Murthy revealed that “a few companies in the transportation sector” have approached him on the possibility of collaborations. He also noted that his primary goal was to open the eyes to a lot of Singaporeans to show that … there are also bots that can work for them. Calling chatbots the “new frontier in technology”, he said: “I hope…to be able to see a movie or food recommendation bot in the future.”