Recently we had an opportunity to speak with Hassan Uriostegui, the CEO Founder at Waken AI about TwinChat
Please share with us the backstory of what motivated you to create this app.
. In short, the inspiration for TwinChat stemmed from my desire to address the gap I saw in conventional social media platforms, where interaction with celebrities and thought leaders is often superficial and one-sided. I wanted to create a platform that offers a more personal and interactive experience.
By leveraging AI technology, I envisioned the possibility of creating virtual "Mind-Deepfakes" or AI-Twins, that could replicate the thought patterns and communication style of real people, making user interaction more engaging and meaningful. The concept was to combine the depth of podcasts with the interactivity of social media.
My past experience working on Ashton Kutcher's Community App further motivated this concept, as I saw the potential of bridging the gap between celebrities and fans in a more direct and immersive way, facilitating conversations that felt real and personal. TwinChat is the embodiment of that vision.
How is your app different than the rest of the market? Which unique need does it fill?
TwinChat stands apart in the market by offering a unique blend of interactive AI technology and personalized engagement with a diverse range of personalities, experts, and even fictional characters. While traditional social media platforms allow users to follow and occasionally interact with celebrities and influencers, TwinChat enables users to have authentic, on-demand, conversational experiences with their chosen AI-Twins. These AI-Twins, utilizing advanced "Mind-Deepfake" technology, replicate not just the persona, but the emotional depth and thought processes of the figures they're based on, providing an immersive, podcast-like experience. This addresses a unique need for a more meaningful, direct, and personalized engagement with personalities that users admire, respect, or find interesting. Furthermore, TwinChat transforms real-world news into interactive dialogues, bringing a new level of user-centric interactivity to staying informed.
What is the coolest or most innovative feature of your app?
One of the most innovative features of TwinChat is the concept of "Mind-Deepfakes" or AI-Twins. These aren't your typical chatbots; they leverage advanced AI technology to mimic not only the communication style but also the emotional depth and thought patterns of a wide range of personalities. This means users can have conversations that feel incredibly real and personalized with their chosen AI-Twins, whether they're celebrities, experts, or even fictional characters.
This technology has been harnessed to create a unique and immersive podcast-like experience that evolves based on user interactions. Additionally, the AI-AI socialization feature, where users can engage in public TwinChats but the dialogue perceived by the group comes exclusively from their own AI-Twins, ensures a user-centric experience that respects anonymity and empowers users in public discourse.
What has been the most rewarding aspect of the creation of this app?
The most rewarding aspect of creating TwinChat has undoubtedly been witnessing the transformative power of AI in bridging the gap between users and their favorite personalities, experts, or characters. Seeing users engage in meaningful conversations with their AI-Twins, deriving insights, emotional connections, and entertainment from these interactions, truly highlights the potential of AI in enriching human experiences. Additionally, hearing feedback from users who appreciate this innovative way to stay informed, learn, and engage in discussions that they previously could only passively listen to has been incredibly gratifying. It underscores that TwinChat is successfully disrupting the social media landscape and democratizing access to knowledge and interaction in a manner that was previously unattainable.
What surprised you most in your journey to create this app?
One of the most surprising aspects of this journey was the sheer complexity and richness that we were able to achieve with our AI-Twins. As we refined the technology, these "Mind-Deepfakes" became more nuanced, capturing the intricacies of personalities in ways that surpassed our initial expectations. The process truly underscored the transformative potential of AI and how it could be used to foster unique, meaningful, and personal interactions.
Additionally, the user response was surprising and gratifying. People embraced the platform and began having deep, thoughtful conversations with their AI-Twins, validating the core concept behind TwinChat. Seeing our vision resonate with users, and witnessing them engage with the platform in innovative ways we hadn't initially imagined, was truly a rewarding surprise.
How did you decide which platforms to release your app on and do you plan on releasing your app to other platforms?
Our initial decision to launch on iOS was primarily driven by its widespread popularity, high degree of user engagement, and the streamlined process for app development and deployment. We wanted to ensure a seamless, high-quality user experience, and iOS offered an environment that facilitated that.
However, our goal is to make TwinChat accessible to as many people as possible, so we are actively working on expanding to other platforms. The web version of TwinChat is in the pipeline, which would make our service platform-independent and accessible to anyone with an internet connection. We're also planning an Android release, given its vast global user base. The idea is to cover a wide spectrum of user preferences and operating systems to ensure that everyone can experience and engage with TwinChat, irrespective of the device they use.
Which other mobile apps or technology have inspired you?
There have been several apps and technologies that inspired me during the creation of TwinChat. Podcast platforms, for instance, provided a strong basis for understanding how to create deep, narrative-driven content that engages users over extended periods. They showed the power of engaging dialogues and the kind of emotional connection that can be achieved through thoughtful conversation.
The evolution of chatbot technology, especially sophisticated models such as OpenAI's GPT series, has also been a major influence. They demonstrated the potential for AI to emulate human-like conversation, inspiring me to push the boundaries further with the concept of AI-Twins in TwinChat.
Social media platforms like Twitter and Instagram were instructive in understanding the dynamics of user interaction and the role of celebrities and influencers in driving engagement. However, I was also keenly aware of the limitations and superficiality of these interactions, which motivated me to create a more immersive and meaningful interaction platform.
Lastly, apps like Clubhouse demonstrated the appeal of real-time audio conversation and its potential for fostering a sense of community and intellectual engagement. It further reinforced the direction we were taking with TwinChat, blending elements of podcasting, social media, and cutting-edge AI to create something wholly unique.
What features do you hope to roll out to your app in the future?
We have an exciting roadmap for TwinChat's future. Here are a few features we are planning:
Voices and Avatars for AI-Twins: We are actively collaborating with brands and personalities to reproduce their voices and visual representations, adding another layer of realism to the TwinChat experience.
Expanding Personality Library: We will continue to expand our AI-Twin library, incorporating even more diverse personalities, experts, and fictional characters for users to interact with.
Enhanced Personalization: We plan to refine our AI technology to make AI-Twins more adaptable and personalized to individual user preferences over time.
Interactive Learning Modules: We envision incorporating educational content into the app, allowing users to learn new skills or knowledge directly from experts in an interactive, conversational manner.
Live TwinChats: While all TwinChats are currently asynchronous, we're exploring the potential for live, real-time TwinChats, allowing multiple users to interact with the same AI-Twin simultaneously.
TwinChat Communities: We're also looking at introducing community features, allowing users with common interests to join together for group TwinChats, fostering a sense of community within the platform.
These features aim to make TwinChat an even more immersive and engaging platform, bringing users closer to the personalities they admire and providing an ever-evolving, personalized podcast-like narrative that adapts to their interests and preferences.
Do you have any recommendations or advice for others wanting to create a mobile app?
Absolutely, here are a few key pieces of advice for anyone looking to create a mobile app:
Understand Your Users: Conduct thorough market research and understand your target audience's needs and wants. The success of your app hinges on how well it meets user needs.
Define a Clear Value Proposition: What sets your app apart from others in the market? It's important to clearly define your unique selling proposition and communicate this effectively to potential users.
Start with an MVP: A minimum viable product (MVP) is a version of your product with just enough features to be usable by early customers who can provide feedback for future product development. It helps you test the market quickly and iterate based on real user feedback.
Design for Usability: A user-friendly interface and intuitive user experience are crucial for user retention. Invest time in creating an intuitive design and seamless user experience.
Plan for Scalability: If your app takes off, you'll need to be prepared to handle a larger user base. Plan your infrastructure to accommodate growth.
Keep Up with Tech Trends: Stay abreast of the latest trends and technologies in the mobile app space. This will help you innovate and stay ahead of the competition.
Don't Overlook Security: Protecting user data should be a top priority. Make sure to build robust security measures into your app from the start.
Continuous Improvement: Once the app is live, the journey isn't over. Continually gather user feedback, analyze user data, update features, and strive to improve your app.
Starting a mobile app is an exciting venture, and while it comes with its own set of challenges, the potential rewards in terms of user engagement, satisfaction, and business success can be significant.