America Online Instant Messenger (AIM) users may be a little startled today when they find a new group called AIM Bots with screen names for MovieFone and ShoppingBuddy has been automatically added to their buddy list. However there is no need for concern, as this is actually one of the coolest features to be added to the product since 2000.

Over the past couple of years America Online has had quite a bit of success with its AIM Robot (AIMBot) technology, including one that feeds users news headlines or on-demand news from the Wall Street Journal, another that lets users help Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? contestants answer questions, a robot that find recipes for dinner, and several that play games with individual users or groups of users.

Starting today the AIMBot technology will be readily available for users of AIM via very easy text based commands.

To get you started here is a quick start guide we have put together for your convenience:

1. Click here: http://aimtoday.aol.com/aimbots
2. Type the word Main in the chat screen that comes up
3. Then follow all of the instructions that come up from that point on.