Inflection AI, an artificial intelligence startup founded by Reid Hoffman, LinkedIn’s co-founder, and Mustafa Suleyman, Google DeepMind‘s co-founder, has unveiled its inaugural AI chatbot product, Pi. This new chatbot, reminiscent of OpenAI’s popular ChatGPT, employs generative AI technology to facilitate interactive dialogues with users, who can ask questions and provide feedback.

According to Suleyman, Inflection AI’s CEO, the company developed the technology in-house, with the Pi chatbot focusing on fostering human-like conversations that exhibit a high degree of emotional intelligence. In addition to being kind and supportive, Pi can also be humorous, whimsical, and imaginative. While suitable for everyday personal tasks, the chatbot is not designed to generate code or essays. Inflection AI has also invested time in boundary training, ensuring that the AI adheres to behavioural policies and refrains from engaging in romantic conversations. The chatbot frequently reminds users of its AI identity, maintaining a clear distinction between itself and humans.

Pi is accessible on multiple platforms, including its website, app, and social media channels such as Instagram, WhatsApp . While the service is currently free, the startup may introduce premium subscription plans in the future. To train its AI systems, Pi uses user data, including conversation content, as outlined in its terms of service. At present, the chatbot is not connected to the internet.

Since OpenAI’s ChatGPT debuted last November, the generative AI chatbot arena has grown increasingly crowded. Chatbots like Google’s Bard and Character.AI, which utilise large language models to process vast amounts of text, enable users to engage in in-depth conversations for both personal and professional purposes. Inflection AI, founded in 2022 and incubated by VC firm Greylock, secured a $225 million investment led by the firm.

Reid Hoffman, a Greylock partner and Microsoft Corp board member, stepped down from OpenAI’s board in March to avoid potential conflicts arising from his involvement with AI startups.

As the AI landscape continues to evolve, chatbots like Pi stand out for their focus on emotional intelligence and human-like interactions. With an emphasis on being supportive and helpful, Pi offers a distinct approach to AI personal assistance, distinguishing itself from the pack in a market dominated by chatbots designed to provide tailored responses to specific prompts.

Try AI chatbot Pi [here]