More real people are turning to fake ones for conversation online.
Why it matters: It's weird, but a sad sign of our times. Many people find bots smarter and more empathetic than humans — especially given the toxic, trashing-talking world of social media.
A new app,SocialAI, lets you create a private social network populated exclusively by chatbots. You choose your bot companions — cheerleaders, fans, trolls, "brutally honest," haters, "doomers," Axios' Megan Morrone reports.
The free app looks like X or Threads. You post what's on your mind, and your bots immediately respond.
To lots of reviewers and early adopters, that sounds like a recipe for a personal echo chamber or a flattery machine.
SocialAI creator Michael Sayman says it's like an online diary or writing a letter you're never going to send — with the benefit of instant feedback.
🔠Zoom out: The random hostility of today's social media has people turning to ChatGPT for therapy, life coaching and even romance.
Investors see opportunity in our loneliness: Personal chatbot maker Character.AI raised $150 million before Google hired the co-founders and bought out venture investors at around a $2.5 billion valuation.
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