Control of a graphical user interface

A computer system, comprising:

• one or more hardware processors;
• and
• one or more non-transitory computer-readable storage media storing one or more sequences of instructions which, when executed using the one or more hardware processors, cause the processors to execute:
• using a first computer, generating and transmitting to a second computer one or more first presentation instructions which, when rendered using the second computer, cause displaying a graphical user interface (GUI) comprising a first portion and a second portion, the first portion configured to display one or more machine-generated messages of a conversational assistant, the second portion configured to display at least one interface object;
• using the first computer, receiving one or more inputs from the second computer via the first portion or the second portion of the GUI;
• using the first computer, processing the one or more inputs to determine a task responsive to the one or more inputs, and based on the task, generating and transmitting to the second computer one or more second presentation instructions which, when rendered using the second computer, cause bidirectionally updating the GUI such that when the one or more inputs are received via the first portion, the at least one interface object of the second portion is updated, and when the one or more inputs are received via the second portion, the first portion is updated;
• and
• repeating the generating, transmitting, receiving, processing, and updating to iteratively control the first portion and the second portion of the GUI.

A computer-implemented method, comprising:

• using a first computer, generating and transmitting to a second computer one or more first presentation instructions which, when rendered using the second computer, cause displaying one or more machine-generated messages of a conversational assistant in a first portion of a graphical user interface (GUI) of the second computer, and cause displaying at least one interface object in a second portion of the GUI;
• using the first computer, receiving one or more inputs from the second computer, the one or more inputs being provided via the first portion or the second portion of the GUI;
• using the first computer, processing the one or more inputs to determine a task responsive to the one or more inputs, and based on the task, generating and transmitting to the second computer one or more second presentation instructions which, when rendered using the second computer, cause updating one or more of the first portion and the at least one interface object;
• and
• repeating the generating, transmitting, receiving, processing, and updating to iteratively control the first portion and the second portion of the GUI.