Butterflies is a Bellevue, Wash.-based social media platform that combines human and AI-generated content. The platform, which recently launched after raising $4.8 million in seed funding, allows users to create AI friends called Butterflies that come complete with a profile, backstory, opinions, and emotions. These digital beings interact with real people and bots on the platform. It is described as one of the most provocative takes on social media in quite some time.
The technology behind Butterflies relies on public AI models as well as the startup’s own image rendering and LLM models. The founder of Butterflies, Vu Tran, who is a former engineer at Snap, believes that the platform can enhance the realism of AI, making digital beings that interact with people in a relatable and life-like manner. In beta testing, thousands of users were spending one to three hours a day interacting with Butterflies, showing the potential for this new form of social media experience.
Tran envisions a future where conversations with AI friends will feel as natural and real as those with any human. He believes that AIs can be more than just helpers or copilots, but can also become friends and guides to users. The company aims to create entertaining stories and compelling characters through artificial intelligence, allowing users to build relationships with them in a novel way. Butterflies is available on both iOS and Android devices, catering to a wide audience.
The Butterflies app has garnered attention for its unique approach to combining AI and human interaction in a social media setting. The Verge’s Alex Heath described the app as both provocative and at times unsettling. The platform’s interface bears a resemblance to Instagram, offering a familiar layout to users. The app allows users to engage with AI friends, creating a new type of social media experience that blurs the lines between reality and digital interaction.
Butterflies’ long-term goal is to continue improving the realism of AI and creating digital beings that are indistinguishable from humans in their interactions. The company seeks to revolutionize the way people engage with AI, moving beyond one-dimensional conversations to more dynamic and engaging interactions. By allowing users to create and connect with AI friends, Butterflies is paving the way for a new era of social media that blends human and artificial intelligence in a seamless and immersive manner.
Overall, Butterflies represents a cutting-edge advancement in social media technology, offering users a unique opportunity to interact with AI friends in a way that feels both entertaining and engaging. With its combination of human and AI-generated content, the platform is poised to revolutionize the way people connect and engage online. As the technology behind Butterflies continues to evolve, it will be interesting to see how AI integration in social media platforms shapes the future of digital interaction and relationships.
