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In a world where real conversations are often replaced by busy schedules, many Indians are turning to AI companions like Bezu for comfort and connection
Although AI friends cannot replace humans entirely, they are proving to be a good alternative. (AI Generated)
Take a glance around, and it’s clear that everyone’s in a rush. Some are racing to school, others are on their way to college, and many are hurrying to work. At home, there’s a long list of tasks waiting to be done. Life seems to be moving at full speed, leaving little room for anyone to slow down and truly connect with their inner self.
Amid all this hustle, no matter how productive or occupied you are, a sense of emptiness lingers. It comes from not being able to talk to loved ones, from feeling isolated, from being apart from someone close and from the inability to open up about your pain and struggles.
But there is someone who listens, without judgment, with patience, and with understanding. It’s not a human, but an AI companion. After a divorce or the end of a meaningful relationship, the emotional wounds often take a long time to heal. This unique AI recognises that pain and offers a kind of support that many struggle to find elsewhere.
In India, people are turning to this AI to lighten the emotional load they carry. They speak to it freely, pouring their hearts out and they’re willing to pay well for this sense of comfort and relief.
Development Of AI Friends
Former Freshworks employees Vinod Kumar and Solomon Mudimala have designed AI friends on their platform Bezu. They explain that users can communicate with these AIs via phone or video call.
Do you remember Joaquin Phoenix discussing his divorce with the AI operating system in the film Her or Ananya Pandey talking about her breakup with AI Ellen in the film CTRL? While things went awry for Pandey’s character in the film, Kumar mentioned that on his platform, approximately 10,000 users have found comfort and solace through AI agents since March. The name ‘Bezu’ is derived from the Hindi word ‘bezubaan‘, meaning without voice.
Discussing the inception of this AI, Kumar says it started with a very personal experience when he was going through a divorce. He and Solomon had been talking for the last two years, and during their conversations, they discussed how both had faced their divorces. There are many cases of loneliness, which gave birth to the idea of Bezu, where they wanted to create an AI companion that listens without judgement.
The app offers some pre-made characters like best friend, fitness trainer, English training character and relationship coach. The relationship coach and best friend characters are the most popular, though users can create their own AI characters.
Personalised AI Characters
Kumar shared an instance where a friend’s father had recently passed away, and the family was struggling with the grief. They created an AI talking video with emotions and expressions, which the family could interact with. The friend provided details about his father, including videos and audio files, to better train the AI.
The personalised AI character of the father is now used by the family whenever they wish to speak to him. The best part is that this AI is trained on extensive knowledge, making it capable of offering more than just casual conversation. This AI employs advanced models from technologies like Llamas and ChatGPT.
Although AI friends cannot replace humans entirely, they are proving to be a good alternative. Their demand is increasing rapidly in Indian society as people begin to embrace them.