E3: The Empathy Revolution with Eugenia Kuyda of Replika

We're hiring across the board at Turpentine and for Erik's personal team on other projects he's incubating. He's hiring a Chief of Staff, EA, Head of Special Projects, Investment Associate, and more. For a list of JDs, check out: eriktorenberg.com . (01:08) Sponsor (01:37) Introducing Eugenia (03:25) Replika’s controversial choice to limit erotic roleplay functionality (04:25) Eugenia's vision for Replika (05:58) Augmented Reality is the Ultimate Modality (07:52) Using Replika (13:11) Profound stories about virtual assistants (15:55) Eugenia on why Replika is more than just a painkiller or vitamin (28:50) Replika's business model and profitability (34:12) Users want their Replika to surprise them (36:12) Why ChatGPT is not a conversational model (49:26) Eugenia's prediction for the "next Iphone of personal AI" (1:03:00) Eugenia’s AI tools/stack (1:15:00) Eugenia comes back to discuss Erotic Roleplay controversy (1:18:00) Replika’s first reaction to users ERP (1: 22:00) How the product evolved from 90% scripts & retrieval models (1:24:00) The definitive focus for Replika to stay in a PG13 zone (1:26:00) “Normal” evolution given sci-fi depictions of AI romances (1:30:00) Current AI ethics on sexuality (1:37:07) Response to journalists misportrayal (1:40:29) Sponsor SPONSORS: SHOPIFY | OMNEKY Shopify is the global commerce platform that helps you sell at every stage of your business. Shopify powers 10% of ALL eCommerce in the US. And Shopify's the global force behind Allbirds, Rothy's, and Brooklinen, and 1,000,000s of other entrepreneurs across 175 countries.From their all-in-one e-commerce platform, to their in-person POS system – wherever and whatever you're selling, Shopify's got you covered. With free Shopify Magic, sell more with less effort by whipping up captivating content that converts – from blog posts to product descriptions using AI. Sign up for $1/month trial period: https://shopify.com/cognitive Thank you Omneky for sponsoring The Cognitive Revolution. Omneky is an omnichannel creative generation platform that lets you launch hundreds of thousands of ad iterations that actually work, customized across all platforms, with a click of a button. Omneky combines generative AI and real time advertising data, to generate personalized experiences at scale. Twitter: @CogRev_Podcast @eriktorenberg (Erik) @labenz (Nathan) @ekuyda (Eugenia) Websites: cognitivervolution.ai https://replika.ai/ RECOMMENDED PODCAST: The HR industry is at a crossroads. What will it take to construct the next generation of incredible businesses – and where can people leaders have the most business impact? Hosts Nolan Church and Kelli Dragovich have been through it all, the highs and the lows – IPOs, layoffs, executive turnover, board meetings, culture changes, and more. With a lineup of industry vets and experts, Nolan and Kelli break down the nitty-gritty details, trade offs, and dynamics of constructing high performing companies. Through unfiltered conversations that can only happen between seasoned practitioners, Kelli and Nolan dive deep into the kind of leadership-level strategy that often happens behind closed doors. Check out the first episode with the architect of Netflix’s culture deck Patty McCord. https://link.chtbl.com/hrheretics This show is produced by Turpentine: a network of podcasts, newsletters, and more, covering technology, business, and culture — all from the perspective of industry insiders and experts. We’re launching new shows every week, and we’re looking for industry-leading sponsors — if you think that might be you and your company, email us at erik@turpentine.co .