Max Giammario

"We're not just building an assistant—we're creating artificial life that you actually want to talk to." — Max Giammario, CEO, Kindred Labs

In one of the most thought-provoking episodes of Technology Reseller News, publisher Doug Green sat down with Max Giammario, CEO of Kindred Labs, to discuss a new frontier in AI: emotionally intelligent, pop-culture-powered digital companions.

Forget impersonal chatbots or disjointed AI assistants. Kindred Labs is blending beloved characters like Hello Kitty, Teletubbies, and Pudgy Penguins with advanced agentic AI to create immersive, emotionally resonant digital experiences. The goal? A future where your most trusted companion might be a personality you already know and love.

Artificial Life Meets Emotional Intelligence

Giammario’s research centers on artificial life and emotional connection. Kindred is the result of that work, delivering companions that don’t just complete tasks—they live across your devices, follow your routines, and grow with you over time.

"Imagine a character like Hello Kitty or a K-pop idol expressed as your AI assistant," said Giammario. "It’s Clippy reimagined for the AI era, but now it’s someone you love waking you up, organizing your day, tracking your portfolio, and cheering you on during your workout."

That vision isn’t hypothetical. Kindred already has over 100,000 active users, and many of them spend more than six hours a day interacting with their AI companions. These are cross-platform personalities, jumping from mobile to laptop to smartwatch, offering contextually relevant help with a smile, a joke, or a familiar catchphrase.

Trust, Familiarity, and Emotional Loyalty

One of Kindred’s key innovations is in overcoming what Giammario calls the "AI trust gap."

"Most people are hesitant to allow AI that level of access to their life. But when it comes wrapped in a character you know—one you already trust—you drop your guard. That’s the magic."

Kindred isn't just function-first. In fact, its entire model is based on emotional connection. Users don't just use Kindred because it works. They use it because they love the character.

"If we just built a better assistant, we’d be in a race to the bottom," Giammario explained. "But if you love your Bugs Bunny, you’ll stick with it. That loyalty is what lets us deliver more functionality, not the other way around."

A Single Interface Across Everything

The implications for enterprise and commercial applications are vast. Instead of bouncing between disconnected bots, imagine a single consistent AI companion interface across every website and interaction.

"Chatbots are fragmented," said Giammario. "But your Kindred character can follow you across every business, every device, and every platform—always learning, always adapting."

In the workplace, that might look like a familiar avatar giving you a morning briefing, syncing your calendar, prompting reminders, and surfacing insights from your CRM. In retail, it could mean brand mascots that act as informed, AI-powered shopping concierges.

From Fiction to Reality

Giammario admits that this shift can feel surreal—even science fiction. But it’s already happening.

"We're crossing a line from tools into relationships," said Green. "From functionality into feeling."

And it's not just about novelty. The mental health benefits, the engagement rates, and the potential for radically new forms of interaction are all on the table.

Learn More

Visit KindredLabs.ai to meet your next digital companion, explore the white paper, or join the community on Discord. You can also follow Max Giammario on X and Kindred at @kindred_ai.

Kindred is turning the characters you grew up with into the digital friends you take into the future. The question now is: Are you ready to meet your AI best friend?