Twelve years after debuting her conversational AI assistant, IO, at TechCrunch Disrupt, Eugenia Kuyda has launched a new personal AI assistant startup named Wabi. Originally, IO was designed as a lifestyle concierge to help with tasks like booking restaurants and vacations, and though it was ahead of its time, AI technology then was not as advanced as today’s large language models. Kuyda’s previous company, Luka, evolved into Replika, a well-known AI chatbot companion company. Having stepped down as CEO of Replika last year, she now aims to fulfill her early vision with Wabi, leveraging advancements in AI to offer a more sophisticated personal assistant.

Wabi 2.0 introduces a multiplayer, multithreaded AI assistant that operates like a messaging app where users can maintain several distinct threads dedicated to different tasks or long-term goals. Each thread can host custom apps, such as a weight-loss tracker or event finder, tailored to specific user needs. Unlike other AI assistants such as Muse and Instinct, Wabi automatically creates apps and threads based on users’ data inputs like email, and enables customization via user requests. Kuyda emphasizes that Wabi’s design avoids the pitfalls of single-threaded AI assistants by managing information without overwhelming users or losing conversation context.

A key innovation in Wabi is its social and collaborative aspect, where users can share threads with others, effectively creating group chats powered by AI. This multiplayer functionality allows shared access to information like calendars, event details, or shopping updates within secured, scoped contexts, enhancing real-life connections among friends and family. Kuyda shared examples from her own life, such as a couple’s thread with shared apps for music, dates, and reading lists, as well as a family thread for organizing children’s activities. Wabi’s data security is SOC 2 compliant, and most user data is stored in the U.S., addressing privacy and safety concerns.

Currently, Wabi is free, and Kuyda’s company is still exploring sustainable business models while engaging in additional fundraising efforts. The product launch positions Wabi to compete in the growing market of personal AI assistants, tapping into rising consumer interest in personalized, multi-functional AI tools. Kuyda believes AI should help people spend more quality time together, not just interact separately with their individual digital assistants, thus aiming to use AI as a means to enhance human relationships and productivity.