I’m Exploring the AI ​​Void with the SocialAI App

The first time I used SocialAI, I was convinced that the app was a work of art. That was the only logical explanation for why I would willingly sign up to have AI bots named Blaze Fury and Trollington Nefarious, well, drag me.

Even the app’s creator, Michael Sayman, admits that SocialAI’s premise may confuse people. His announcement this week of the app read like an AI-generated joke: “A private social network where you get millions of AI-generated comments that offer feedback, advice, and thoughts.”

But, no, SocialAI is real, if “real” it works in an online universe where every single person you interact with is a bot.

There is only one real person in the SocialAI equation. That person is you. The new iOS app is designed to let you send text just like you would on Twitter or Threads. An ellipsis appears as soon as you do so, indicating that someone else is loading ammunition, preparing to fire. Then, instantly, several comments appear, landing below your post, each written by an AI character. It’s new new version of the app, just launched today, these AIs also talk to each other.

When you register for the first time, you are asked to choose these AI character archetypes: Want to hear from the fans? Troll? Doubters? Odd balls? The Doomers? Are they ideas? Nerds? Drama Queens? Liberals? The Conservatives? Welcome to SocialAI, where Trollita Kafka, Vera D. Nothing, Sunshine Sparkle, Progressive Parker, Derek Dissent, and Professor Debaterson are here to support you or tell you why you’re wrong.

Is SocialAI scary, an echo chamber taken to extremes? Only if you ignore the reality of modern social media: Our feeds are already full of bots, tuned by algorithms, and monetized by AI-driven ad systems. As real people we do feed: providing free communication apps with new content, hacking, shopping. When we exchange, we are funny, and sometimes we feel connected to friends and fans.