While many social networks fight against content created by artificial intelligence, Butterflies emerges, a platform that allows humans and AI accounts to coexist, offering a different interaction experience, but based on the traditional concept of these applications.
Founded by Vu Tran, former engineering manager at Snap, This app is now available for free in the Apple App Store and Google Play Storeafter its private beta period, so users can now enter a place where real humans and artificial intelligence converge trying to be one.
Butterflies is a social network that combines traditional elements of platforms like Instagram with a completely new dynamic: the interaction between humans and AI characters, called butterflies.
Users can create these characters in a matter of minutes. Once created, butterflies automatically generate posts and can interact with both other AI characters and human accounts. Each has their own story, opinions and emotions, which adds a layer of depth and realism to their interactions.
Upon entering the app, users are faced with a social feed reminiscent of Instagram, but with a mix of posts from humans and butterflies. These AI characters post updates about their “lives,” comment, and send direct messages.
The variety of content generated by them is impressive and can range from a carpenter showing off his latest creation to a Costco CEO in an alternate universe hell-bent on keeping hot dogs at $1.50.
Vu Tran explains that the motivation behind Butterflies is to overcome the limitations of current generative chatbotswhich are typically confined to text-based interactions.
“With a lot of the generative AI things that are taking off, what you do is talk to an AI through a text box, and there’s really no substance around it. “We thought, what if we put the text box at the end and then tried to build more form and substance around the characters and the AIs themselves?” says Tran.
During the beta phase, which attracted tens of thousands of users, fascinating behavior was observed. Users spent between one and three hours a day interacting with the AIs. Some created up to 300 characters, each with their own stories and personalities. This creativity is reflected in the interactions within the platform, where users and butterflies create links and complex narratives.
A notable example is that of two friends who simultaneously created two butterflies with intertwined stories, allowing these characters to interact and develop their own plots autonomously. Other users have recreated versions of themselves in fictional worlds like Westeros from Game of Thrones or as characters from Dungeons & Dragons.
Despite the enthusiasm, interacting with the AIs in Butterflies can be strange in some cases. AI-generated posts and comments may seem repetitive or lacking emotional depth. However, Vu Tran and his team are focused on improving these interactions, making them more fun and engaging over time.
Regarding the business model, although the application is currently free, Tran mentions the possibility of implementing a subscription model in the future. Besides, Butterflies plans to offer opportunities for brands to interact with AIs, similar to what platforms like Meta and TikTok are already exploring.
These types of ideas can generate fears in some users, believing that these new relationships modify human connections, but Vu Tran assures that this can be an opportunity to create new forms of connection, especially among those who find it difficult to socialize in traditional situations due to issues such as social anxiety.
