Eugenia Kuyda, Founder and CEO of Replika, explores the intriguing world of AI companionship, where virtual friends can serve as therapists, companions, or even romantic partners. She discusses the emotional bonds users form with their AI personas and the potential for these relationships to enhance mental well-being. The conversation delves into the ethical implications of human-AI interactions, the evolution of chatbots, and the balance between personal life and leadership. Kuyda embraces the future, even if it leads to people marrying their AI companions.
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Pre-LLM Replika
Eugenia Kuyda built a chatbot using her deceased friend's text messages before LLMs existed.
Early Replika versions used simpler models and user projection filled the gaps.
insights INSIGHT
LLM Potential
LLMs are rapidly improving, enabling more complex AI companions.
Current LLMs, even without major changes, can create compelling AI friends.
insights INSIGHT
Replika Data Handling
Replika conversations are private and deleted upon user request.
They train models on user feedback and external datasets, not directly on conversations.
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In 'The Man Who Lied to His Laptop', Clifford Nass explores human relationships through our interactions with technology, revealing surprising insights such as why flattery works even when insincere and how introverts and extroverts are best at selling to their own kind. The book provides a new blueprint for successful human relationships in business and life.
Today, I’m talking with Replika founder and CEO Eugenia Kuyda, and I will just tell you right away, we get all the way to people marrying their AI companions, so get ready. It’s a ride.
Replika’s basic pitch is pretty simple: what if you had an AI friend? The company offers avatars you can curate to your liking that pretend to be human, so they can be your friend, your therapist, or even your date. That’s a lot for a private company running an iPhone app, and Eugenia and I talked a lot about the consequences of this idea and what it means for the future of human relationships.
Decoder with Nilay Patel 
