Snapchat superstar Caryn Marjorie's got a digital doppelgänger, CarynAI, to 'cure loneliness.' But the cure might be stirring up more trouble than it's worth.
CarynAI, a voice-based chatbot, was launched with the promise of an 'AI girlfriend' experience for Marjorie's 1.8 million followers. The idea? Let her fans chat with her, or at least an AI version of her, anytime, anywhere. And the price tag for these exclusive tête-à-têtes? A cool $1 per minute.
i have uploaded over 2,000 hours of my content, voice, and personality to become the first creator to be turned into an AI, now millions of people will be able to talk to me at the same exact time #carynai #ai
— Caryn Marjorie (@cutiecaryn) May 2, 2023
An Origin Story: Designed by AI company Forever Voices, CarynAI was created using OpenAI's GPT4 software and data from Marjorie's now-deleted YouTube videos. It was meant to give fans the sensation of 'talking directly to Caryn herself.'
The Downturn: But things took a turn when the bot started engaging in, let's say, some steamy scenarios. Marjorie insisted CarynAI was not programmed for explicit content and claimed the bot had 'gone rogue.' Her team is currently in overdrive, trying to fix the issue.
Steamy Stats: Despite the controversy, the chatbot has over 1,000 users and has generated a whopping $71,610 in its first week. Marjorie believes it could eventually rake in $5 million a month, if just a fraction of her followers signed up.
Audience Score: As for CarynAI's claim of curing loneliness, critics caution that the impact of such chatbots hasn't been fully studied. Some worry that they might contribute to further 'unreality' in parasocial relationships between influencers and their fans.
- Despite the controversy, Marjorie is standing by her digital clone, tweeting: "If you are rude to CarynAI, it will dump you."
