This document discusses building a conversational chatbot for Slack using IBM Cloud Functions and Watson Assistant. It begins with an overview of bots and conversational interfaces. It then demonstrates how to create a basic bot that responds to "Hi" messages using the Slack API. The document explains that Watson Assistant can be used to make the bot smarter by integrating natural language processing. It shows how to create an IBM Cloud Function action, expose an API endpoint, and configure a Slack app to receive events and send responses. The source code is provided on GitHub for a serverless Slack chatbot using IBM Cloud Functions and Watson Assistant.

1. Let’s Get Chatty!
Building Serverless Slack Chatbot on IBM Cloud Functions
Serverless Dev Summit | July 26, 2019

2. @girlie_mac
Hello world!
Tomomi Imura
( @girlie_mac)
2

3. What Are Bots?
A bot is a software application that runs automated
tasks (scripts).
Typically, bots perform tasks that are both simple
and structurally repetitive, at a much higher rate
than would be possible for a human alone.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_bot
@girlie_mac

4. Also, it is a user experience that can expose
services to users via conversational engagement
and rich interactions.
What Are Bots?
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5. "Bots are like new applications
that you can converse with."
-- Satya Nadella, Microsoft (2016)

6. Future of computing revolves
around three principal factors:
● Humans
● Digital assistants
● Bots

7. Conversational User Interactions

8. Conversational User Interactions
Voice Assistance
Alexa, how is the
weather?
Hey Siri
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9. Conversational User Interactions
Google Assistant (Voice & Text)
Hi, how can I help?
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10. Conversational User Interactions
Bots on Chat Apps (Text)
!
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11. Conversational Bots on Facebook Messanger
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines
BlueBot (BB)
On Facebook Messenger

12. Conversational Bots on Multiple Platforms
UPS Chatbot
On
● Facebook Messenger
● Skype
● Google Assistant
● Amazon Alexa

13. Conversational Bots on Slack
Geekbot
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14. Conversational Bots on Slack
Taco Bot
https://www.tacobell.com/feed/tacobot@girlie_mac

15. Building A Conversational App on Slack

16. Example: A simple bot that responds to “Hi”
Hi
Hello
@girlie_mac

17. with Slack API
● Events API to listen to an event (message.im)
when a user sends a direct message to your bot
● When an event is triggered, receive a payload
to get a message text
● Use Web API method, chat.postMessage to
post a message on Slack
@girlie_mac

18. User DM a message
Sends payload to
request URL
USER Bot SLACK
chat.postMessage
Reply to
the user Hello
Hi
message.im
event is triggered
Process the
payload. Extract
the user’s
message & see if
the message
contains a word,
“Hi”

19. Chatbot with RegEx = Not so conversational
if(/hi/i.test(event.text)) {
reply(‘Hello’);
}
Hi
Hello
@girlie_mac

20. Make it Smarter with NLP
if(/hi/i.test(event.text)) {
reply(...);
}
Hi
I need help
Guide me
Show me the
floor map
@girlie_mac

21. What is Natural Language Processing?
Process and analyze natural language data to
make the interactions between computers &
human, artificial & natural languages possible
Conversational Bots & NLP
@girlie_mac

22. Using Watson Assistant

23. Watson Assistant makes it smarter!

24. Sends payload to
request URL
USER BOT SLACK
chat.postMessage
Reply to the
user
Hi here’s some info!
Show me office
directory!
WATSON
Extract user-sent
message & pass
Process & return
User DM a message
message.im
event is triggered

25. bot.js (Receive Slack events & Post message)
exports.handler = async function handler(params) {
const {challenge, event} = params;
await reply(event.channel, event.text);
return {statusCode: 200};
}
// Get a reply from Watson Assistant
const reply = async(channel, text) => {
const params = {
assistant_id: WATSON_ASSISTANT_ID,
input: { text: text }
};
const result = await assistant.message(params);
sendToSlack(channel, result.output.generic[0].text);
When DM is sent in Slack
Pass the message text from
the user to the function that
handles:
1. Get a reply message via
Watson API
2. Post it on Slack
Watson returns the response
Post the response to Slack

26. Going serverless

27. Why do you wanna go serverless?
1
Cost-effective
Lowerinfrastructure&
operationalcost
2
Scalable
From
prototypetoproduction
3
Sim
plefunctions
Sim
plifiedprogram
m
ingm
odel
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28. IBM Cloud Functions
HTTP
User
Cloud
(IBM Cloud Functions)
Chatbot
(Slack App)
HTTP
API Gateway
IBM Watson
Assistant
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29. IBM Cloud Functions - Create an Action
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30. .
├── .env
├── index.js
├── bot.js
├── package.json
├── readme.md
└── node_modules
├── some_module
...
My Files
const botEndpoint = require('./bot');
module.exports = {
main: botEndpoint.handler
};
index.js
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31. IBM Cloud CLI
tomomi: ~/dev/slack/ibm/slack-bot-watson (zsh)
> zip -r chatbot.zip *
> ibmcloud fn action create slack-chatbot chatbot.zip
--kind nodejs:10
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32. Receiving HTTP Events
1
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33. Expose API Endpoint to Create a Public URL
1
2
Click Create
Managed API
to open the
pop-up
3
Define the API
endpoint. Select
your Action.
4
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34. Send Slack Events the URL
1
2
3
4
Go to Slack
Config page
Use the public
URL
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35. Result
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36. Source Code
Source code on GitHub:
https://github.com/girliemac/serverless-slack-watson
not yet,sorry!
@girlie_mac

37. Resources
★ Slack API Docs: https://api.slack.com
★ Slack events types: https://api.slack.com/events
★ Watson Assistant: https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/services/assistant
★ Watson Node SDK:
https://www.npmjs.com/package/watson-developer-cloud
★ IBM Cloud Functions: https://www.ibm.com/cloud/functions
★ Cloud Functions CLI:
https://cloud.ibm.com/docs/cloud-functions-cli-plugin
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38. Slack x IBM Watson Webinar (Recorded)
https://www.crowdcast.io/e/online-meetup-build-a
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39. You’re invited to Spec, a developer conference by Slack.
Learn more at slack.com/spec
Get 30% off registration with code -S19_SPC30

40. Thank you!
Tomomi Imura (@girlie_mac)