NEW YORK: Facebook may soon introduce its own version of virtual assistant that would help users complete tasks like buying products and services online, according to media reports

Called Moneypenny, the feature is being tested internally. It derives its name from the James Bond franchise character who serves as M's secretary, and is said to bring a human touch to modern digital assistants, AppleInsider reported.

For example, you might ask Moneypenny to research and purchase an high-definition television (HDTV) for you.

Apple, Google and Microsoft all have first-party virtual assistants in Siri, Google Now and Cortana respectively. But none is backed by live human assistance.

According to reports, Moneypenny could look something like a mix between Siri and Amazon's Echo virtual assistant hardware platform.

Moneypenny is part of the Messenger that Facebook recently bolstered with person-to-person money transfers. Facebook would presumably offer the service on all major smartphone platforms and the web.

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