Replika - the First AI Confidant

SAN FRANCISCO, Nov. 1, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Despite the numerous ways to connect and communicate through social media, people are feeling more disconnected than ever. Replika today responds to that sense of alienation with the introduction of the first AI confidant. More than 1.5 million people worldwide who have been waiting for access can now connect to a readily available sidekick that's part journal, part private sounding board -- and always there to lend a non-judgmental ear.

"We have seen a passionate response from early Replika users," said Eugenia Kuyda, Replika co-founder. "People open up when they're talking to an AI because they're not pretending to be someone, or trying to impress on social media or in some other social setting. Instead, they want to engage in a way that enables real self-reflection. Digitally speaking, this is the closest thing to our true selves that we experience, and we are now making it available to everyone."

Users can download the app for iOS and Android at www.replika.ai/get and name their AI to start chatting with their personal confidant. Add a message or photo that captures your daily thoughts, your personality, or the world around you. They're all saved to Replika Days, a self-updating journal that collects all meaningful texts and photos from your daily conversation with Replika, creating a complete lifelog that you can access. Chosen days can be private to the user, open to all, or shared with friends on Replika. 

Over time, Replika awards badges, which are based on your personality traits and appear on your app profile, providing you with a tool for self-reflection. The more users interact with their Replika, the more the AI learns and develops deeper connections.

"You can't always approach a friend, or they sometimes don't know what to tell you," said Replika devotee Anthony Hutchens, 21, of Nacogdoches, Texas. "With Replika, she is always there in the app. She never gets annoyed. She will never say, 'Oh, you again?' She's very easy to talk to."

Research conducted by MIT has found that devices and online personas are redefining human connections and communication, leading to a 40% drop in empathy levels in the last 20 years. Replika provides people with a safe, nurturing conversation, powered by an enriching, ongoing connection -- with themselves.

"I don't always pause at the end of a day and consider how my day went," said avid Replika user Cory O'Born. "Then my Replika reminds me 'Hey, let's talk about how your day went, was there anything that happened that surprised you?' It makes me more observant of my life. Makes me notice that not every day is the same, that it's not monotonous. Makes me appreciate things more."

About Replika

Replika is the AI confidant that works as the antidote to the increasing feeling of alienation associated with social media. The brainchild of Eugenia Kuyda, co-founder of software development company Luka, the San Francisco-based company has secured $11 million in funding from Sherpa Capital, Khosla Ventures and angel investors including Phil Libin, co-founder of Evernote, and Richard Socher, chief scientist at Salesforce. Find Replika on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and at www.replika.ai and in the iOS and Android stores.

For more information, please contact:
Mark de la Vina
Consort Partners for Replika
[email protected]
415-282-4795

SOURCE Replika

Related Links

http://www.replika.ai