Can I ask what problem this solves that something like skype/hipchat/whatever doesn't solve? I guess to me it just feels like a step backwards. I'm not saying

Can I ask what problem this solves that something like skype/hipchat/whatever doesn't solve? I guess to me it just feels like a step backwards. I'm not saying that these bots are bad, but I feel like there's a benefit that I'm not seeing.