There was a time when seeing new social media platforms was fashionable. However, the consolidation of a few slowed this trend. Now, the rise of generative AI brings a new approach: SocialAI, a social media platform where you only interact with bots.
Why it matters. SocialAI raises many questions about the future of online interactions, the acceptance of digital echo chambers, and the role of AI in our digital lives.
The big picture.
- SocialAI is a social media platform where the user is the only human. AI bots make up the rest of the universe.
- The app mimics the X interface but eliminates all interaction with real people. It’s currently only available for iOS, without a website.
- The users choose what kind of bots will “follow” their posts and comment on them. They also select the type of personality these bots will have, their responses, and more.
- SocialAI creator Michael Sayman describes the platform as a “safe space” where you can express yourself without fear of judgment or toxicity.
In detail. When you sign up for SocialAI, you can choose from 32 types of AI-generated “followers.” Fans, trolls, intellectuals, pranksters… These bots will respond to your posts according to their programmed personality.
When you post content, SocialAI generates instant responses, giving users the illusion of being on an active social media platform where their words matter. Everything is artificial. There are bots on X, but they’re not the whole universe, nor are they under the user’s control.
- SocialAI’s founder is a former Facebook employee who defines the experience as “liberating” for removing social pressure.
Between the lines. Although Sayman presents the social media platform as a safe space, SocialAI has a clear focus: reinforcing ideological bubbles by giving users absolute control over their environment. It also eliminates the potential uncertainty of interacting with real people.
If this social media platform gets some traction, it will signify our growing comfort with bots.
In perspective. Although its creator wants to convey an image of seriousness and conviction, users can also see SocialAI as:
- A straightforward and ironic critique of today’s social media platforms.
- An experiment about our emotional needs online.
- An almost therapeutic tool to practice social interactions.
- Another step towards the normalization of human-AI relations.
The bottom line. It’s still unclear how users will remember SocialAI five years from now. They may see it as a joke, an experiment, a passing curiosity, a serious attempt to build a business, or the beginning of a trend.
Only time will tell.
Image | SocialAI, Xataka On, Mockuuups Studio
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