Note: This conversation contains themes of suicidal ideation, in the context of academic research. Please watch from (21:41) onwards if you would like to skip past this content.

In this conversation, Nathan sits down with Eugenia Kuyda, Replika's Founder and CEO. They discuss recent research published in Nature conducted by Stanford on Replika user interactions, how Replika is providing their users with a relationship they can trust and confide in, what Eugenia has found surprising about the evolution of how people are interacting with their Replikas, and much more. Try the Brave search API for free for up to 2000 queries per month at https://brave.com/api

LINKS

SPONSORS:

The Brave search API can be used to assemble a data set to train your AI models and help with retrieval augmentation at the time of inference. All while remaining affordable with developer first pricing, integrating the Brave search API into your workflow translates to more ethical data sourcing and more human representative data sets. Try the Brave search API for free for up to 2000 queries per month at https://brave.com/api

Omneky is an omnichannel creative generation platform that lets you launch hundreds of thousands of ad iterations that actually work customized across all platforms, with a click of a button. Omneky combines generative AI and real-time advertising data. Mention "Cog Rev" for 10% off www.omneky.com

NetSuite has 25 years of providing financial software for all your business needs. More than 36,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, gaining visibility and control over their financials, inventory, HR, eCommerce, and more. If you're looking for an ERP platform ✅ head to NetSuite: http://netsuite.com/cognitive and download your own customized KPI checklist.

X/Social:

@ekuyda (Eugenia)

@labenz (Nathan)

@CogRev_Podcast 

Timestamps:

(00:00) Preview and summary

(06:41 The evolution of Replika

(08:11) Definining the main goal of Replika

(09:54) Nature published study by Stanford on Replika and mental health

(14:20) Methodology for the research on Replika users

(15:19) Sponsor - Brave Search API

(19:46) Replika providing people with a relationship they can trust and confide in

(23:20) How people are relating and reacting to their AI Replikas

(25:49) Stuffed animal analogy

(28:20) What people come to Replika for

(30:29) Sponsor - Netsuite | Omneky

(32:03) How malleable are people’s expectations for their Replika?

(36:54) The evolution of how people are interacting with Replika

(44:49) Putting Replika on device

(46:59) Underappreciated or developed aspects of AI development

(56:11) The relationship people have with their Replika is a moat

(1:08:46) Building AI to memorialize people after they passed: what are the ethics?

This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at [email protected].