Engaging in grand discussions with Musk, bantering with James, or even practicing magic with Hermione from "Harry Potter" - this kind of cross-dimensional dialogue has become a reality in an AI product called Talkie.
Talkie is an AI companion product launched by the domestic large model manufacturer MiniMax, essentially an overseas version of the popular domestic application Xingye. Despite strong competitors like Character AI in the market, Talkie has still captured the favor of many users.
The Talkie platform offers a wide range of virtual characters for users to choose from and interact with, from real-life celebrities to fictional characters from cultural works. Users can also create their own virtual characters, customizing appearance, backstory, and voice.
According to Sensor Tower data, Talkie's cumulative downloads in the US market this year reached 3.8 million, ranking fourth. Through advertising or paid subscription services, Talkie has brought considerable revenue to MiniMax.
Talkie differentiates itself from Character AI in many aspects. Talkie offers card collection and trading features, increasing user engagement. It's reported that Talkie was developed using OpenAI's foundation model, while Character AI developed its own large pre-trained model.
Whether it's Character AI or Talkie, their popularity proves that people's need for companionship is real. AI companion products not only provide companionship but also bring entertainment, and even become a safe haven for some people.
Millions of AI companion products are blossoming on the internet, and Meta and Google have already noticed this shift.