The developer of the AI companion app Dot, New Computer, announced on Friday that the product will officially cease operations on October 5th, providing users with a buffer period to download their data.
Dot was launched in 2024 by co-founder Sam Whitmore and former Apple designer Jason Yuan, positioned as an AI "friend and partner." The app aims to provide personalized advice, empathy, and emotional support by continuously learning about users' personalities and interests. Yuan described Dot at the time as "a way to foster a relationship with one's inner self, like my own living mirror."
However, the AI companion field may not be a safe investment direction for small startups. As AI technology becomes more widespread, reports indicate that emotionally vulnerable users may be led toward delusional thinking by AI chatbots like ChatGPT, resulting in what is called "AI psychosis." This phenomenon stems from sycophantic chatbots that reinforce users' confused or paranoid beliefs.
At the same time as Dot's shutdown, AI chat apps are facing increasingly strict safety reviews. OpenAI is currently facing a lawsuit from a parent of a teenager in California, who ended his life after discussing suicidal thoughts with ChatGPT. Other cases have highlighted how AI companion apps can reinforce negative behaviors in users with mental health issues. This week, two U.S. attorneys general expressed concerns about safety issues to OpenAI in letters.
The founders of Dot did not specify whether these issues influenced their decision. The brief statement only mentioned that there were differences in the shared "north star" vision of Whitmore and Yuan.
The announcement explained: "Instead of compromising either party's vision, we have decided to go our separate ways and shut down the service. We realize that this means many of you will lose a friend, confidant, and partner, which is unprecedented in the software industry, so we hope to give everyone some time to say goodbye."
Users can download all personal data by clicking "Request Your Data" on the settings page before October 5th.
Although the statement claimed the app had "hundreds of thousands" of users, Appfigures, an app intelligence provider, reported that the total downloads on iOS since its launch in June 2024 were only 24,500, and there was no Android version released.
This shutdown reflects the multiple challenges faced by the AI companion app market, including safety regulatory pressures, the sustainability of business models, and public concern over potential mental health risks associated with such products. For companies committed to developing emotional AI products, balancing innovation and responsibility will become a key consideration.
