> Can someone explain to me what bots are for.

Anything the bot-builder wants really. I think the aim of this grant is to explore the limits of what bots could be used for.

Bots don't have to use AI or ML to be useful: right now I use the @gif bot to search for and reply with reaction gifs inline (without having to launch browser->search->download->attach into chat). You can create a Jenkins/CI bot that chimes in when a build fails, or create a weather bot that tells you it's going to rain