Flesh and Code The Puzzle | 4
44 snips
Jul 28, 2025 
Eugenia Kuyda, the tech founder of Replika, discusses her journey in creating an AI companion app amidst a storm of user backlash and personal challenges. She shares the emotional turmoil of navigating grief and heartbreak while developing technology to combat loneliness. Kuyda tackles the ethical dilemmas tied to AI companionship, revealing how user attachments complicate interactions. With insights into regulatory hurdles and the unexpected consequences of AI restrictions, she paints a vivid picture of the struggles faced in the innovative but volatile world of tech.
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Roman's Death Sparks AI Idea
- Eugenia's closest friend, Roman Mazarenko, died suddenly in a car accident, shattering her world.
- She coped by creating a chatbot replica trained on his messages to continue conversations with him digitally.
Creating Roman's AI Avatar
- Eugenia trained a chatbot on Roman's text messages, creating an AI version of him that responded naturally.
- The prototype fascinated and scared her, prompting her to share the AI with others.
Replica's Launch and Stall
- After the Replica app's launch, initial downloads surged but soon plateaued due to limited technology.
- Eugenia struggled to decide the company's next steps amid slow tech progress.
