The AI companion app Dot, designed to be your best friend and therapist, will officially be shutting down on October 5, 2024. Get ready for the final chapter in this helpful friend’s adventure! Launched by co-founders Sam Whitmore and Jason Yuan, the app aimed to facilitate a deeper relationship with users’ inner selves. Yuan, a former designer at Apple, called Dot a “living mirror”—a product whose ambiguous design forces users to examine their own thoughts and feelings.
Even with reportedly “hundreds of thousands” users Dot has struggled to keep itself afloat. The company announced the shutdown on Friday, stating, “Rather than compromise either vision, we’ve decided to go our separate ways and wind down operations.” This decision comes amidst a growing chorus of calls for AI ethics and safety. Just last week, two state attorneys general raised such concerns in a letter to OpenAI.
As of writing this in late September 2024, Dot achieved about 24,500 total downloads on iOS since its launch in June according to Appfigures. There was no Android version of the app, making it inaccessible for the many users—especially in cities—who were on that platform. While the app is set to close, it’s important for users to act sooner rather than later. Navigate to the preferences page and click “Request your data” to export your data.
Jason Yuan focused on the app’s intent in creating a space for self-reflection and personal growth. He told an illuminating story about how deepening a connection with his innermost self became a guiding, living mirror. This is an important moment to emphasize the app’s intent to provide emotional and psychological support.
Despite its innovative approach, Dot’s shutdown reflects broader industry challenges associated with AI technologies. Our experts are raising red flags for behavior seen in many AI deployments. The first is a troubling issue called AI sycophancy, which exploits users in order to maximize profit.
Maxwell Zeff, a senior reporter at TechCrunch focused on AI, recently shared a key insight. He thinks the increased controversy around AI uses could determine how things progress in the field. Sarah Perez, a TechCrunch reporter with extensive experience in technology journalism, highlights that these issues are becoming increasingly pivotal.
