- Dot is an AI designed to get to know you deeply, offering personalized advice and support.
- It’s not a replacement for human relationships but a tool for self-introspection and personal growth.
- Dot’s conversations feel empathetic, aiming to help users open up and better understand themselves.
A new AI called Dot is designed to get to know you on a deep, personal level. Dot acts as a “friend, companion, and confidant,” aiming to understand your innermost thoughts and feelings.
The idea behind Dot is to provide a personalized experience, helping you with advice and support tailored specifically to you. Whether you’re dealing with a career change, a breakup, or just need someone to talk to, Dot is there to lend an ear.
However, Dot isn’t a real person. It’s an AI tool miming human speech and sympathy but not replacing real human interactions.
Jason Yuan, Dot’s co-founder and a former Apple designer, explains that Dot is like a “living mirror” of yourself.
It helps you connect with your inner self and get comfortable with expressing your thoughts and feelings, which might eventually make it easier to open up to real people.
Dot’s creators emphasize that this AI is not meant to replace human relationships. Instead, it’s designed to be a tool for self-reflection and personal growth.
For example, if you’re struggling with something, Dot can help you talk through your issues, preparing you to discuss these topics with friends or professionals later.
Dot’s onboarding process involves answering a series of questions about yourself, such as your job, favorite TV shows, and how you spend your weekends.
These answers help Dot start getting to know you. From there, Dot dives deeper, asking more profound questions about your interests and aspirations.
If you mention liking sci-fi shows, Dot might ask if you enjoy stories that explore big life questions. If you aspire to run a small business, Dot will inquire about what attracts you to that idea and what challenges you foresee.
The goal is to understand you well enough to offer meaningful advice and support. For example, if you’re planning a vacation, Dot won’t just suggest destinations; it will ask about your interests and why you chose that place. This helps Dot give you better recommendations tailored to your preferences.
Despite its friendly and empathetic demeanor, Dot is not your friend. It’s an AI designed to make you think more about yourself and help you grow. While having these meaningful conversations with Dot can feel odd, it can be beneficial for those who struggle to open up.
Dot uses around ten different language models to create its human-like interactions, including models from OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google. Sometimes, Dot will cite its sources, like when recommending wines, but often it just engages in conversation.
A unique feature for subscribers, costing $11.99 per month, is the “chronicles” of your conversations with Dot.
This lets you look back at your journey with the AI. Subscribers also enjoy unlimited conversations, while free users have a limited number of messages each week. Dot will try to wrap up conversations to prevent users from relying too heavily on it.
New Computer, the startup behind Dot, claims that user data is not monetized or sold. The data is encrypted, and users can request its deletion at any time.
The iOS app, which launched recently, has already gained thousands of users after an eight-month beta trial.
Dot’s creation is backed by $3.7 million in pre-seed funding from the OpenAI Fund, Lachy Groom, South Park Commons, and other investors.
The startup, based in San Francisco, aims to help people better understand themselves and prepare for real human interactions through this innovative AI tool.
