TechCrunch Industry News Robyn is an empathetic AI companion chatbot; plus Meta’s chief AI scientist Yann LeCun reportedly plans to leave to build his own startup
Nov 12, 2025
Discover Robyn, an empathetic AI chatbot designed to help users reflect and reconnect emotionally without acting as a therapy app. Hear how Jenny Shao was inspired by pandemic isolation to create this intelligent companion that leverages human memory research. The chat also dives into Yann LeCun's plans to leave Meta to launch his own startup focused on world models, raising questions about how his departure might impact Meta's AI direction amidst significant organizational changes.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Founder Left Medicine To Build Empathic AI
- Jenny Shao left Harvard residency to build Robin after seeing isolation's neurological impact during the pandemic.
- She applied human memory research to design Robin's emotionally-aware interactions.
Emotional Memory Powers Personalized Support
- Robin aims to be an emotionally intelligent assistant, not a clinical replacement for doctors.
- The app models human memory to better understand and recall user-specific emotional context.
Onboard Fully For Better Interactions
- Complete onboarding so Robin learns your goals, tone, and emotional traits for better interactions.
- Expect the assistant to refuse factual tasks like scores but help with personal reflection and routines.