OpenAI, which is behind the artificial intelligence chatbot ChatGPT and one of the biggest investors in the development of a digital friend for youth, has backed the project.
Clara Gold, a French entrepreneur and her business partner Etienne genvrin are quietly developing Ava with a 12-member team and are ready to launch this summer.
Sequoia Capital and the Silicon Valley venture firm that supported Apple and Google at their infancy have invested in Gold.
Sources said that the size of investment was unclear. However, it was “hotly contested”, as investors rush to support new AI-tech companies.
Gold, 32, is said to have wanted to help those who were lonely, especially younger generations. Ava is a blue-haired young woman wearing a pink croptop, black tracksuit pants, and white sneakers.
Gold, who worked previously at Colombian delivery startup Rappi in Colombia, declined to comment. Gold, who first tweeted Ava in March, said that she was there to be a friend, to lift you up and to give you advice. . . Or just someone to tell you how awesome and amazing you are.”