Pay $1 per minute to talk to an AI influencer clone

A Snapchat influencer created her AI version that people can talk to for a price of $1 per minute. Check out the details.

Caryn Marjorie is a popular influencer on Snapchat with more than 1.8 million followers. She has now created an AI version of herself that can act as a virtual girlfriend for anyone willing to pay. (Caryn Marjorie Twitter)

One side-effect of the explosive growth of artificial intelligence is that it can come up in all sorts of ways. While Google is about to release its set of AI tools to help people identify misleading and AI-generated images found online, a Snapchat influencer has found a unique use case of the same technology. Caryn Marjorie has used AI to create a virtual version of herself that people can talk to for a price of $1 a minute. 

Who is Caryn Marjorie?

Caryn Marjorie is a 23 years old influencer on Snapchat and currently has more than 1.8 million followers. Her AI version of herself is essentially an AI chatbot that users can treat as a companion and share their feelings. While the price has been kept high, Marjorie explains her decision on the basis of being the first mover in the segment. In an interview, she said, "Being the first influencer to do this allowed me to price my product at whatever I wanted". “The cost is based on what it takes to run CarynAI and keep the team around it supported.”.

The tech behind the AI chatbot

To make a virtual version of herself, Marjorie collaborated with an AI company specializing in this field called Forever Voices. Her chatbot is called CarynAI. It uses OpenAI's GPT-4 technology as the basis of the chatbot. There is also a voice chat feature. To train the AI on her voice and verbal mannerisms, the team used more than 2000 hours of video data from Marjorie's now-deleted YouTube channel. 

CarynAI features

The influencer claims that the AI chatbot, CarynAI, can essentially behave as a virtual replica of herself and act as a companion or virtual girlfriend for the users. The platform supports both text and audio support and even captures the personality of Marjorie. Users can share their feelings, flirt with or just have a deep conversation with the AI through its immersive experience. 

Chatbot treads into uncharted territory

Currently, the AI platform is in beta testing mode and has been out for more than a week. However, it has already gotten into trouble. As per a report by Insider.com, the chatbot is engaging in sexually charged conversations, something it was not trained for. "In the weeks since it launched in beta testing, the voice-based, AI-powered chatbot has engaged in sexually explicit conversations with some of its subscribers, who pay $1 per minute to chat with it," said the report.

Replying to the issue, Marjorie said, “The AI was not programmed to do this and has seemed to go rogue”. She also revealed that the team was already working to fix the issue. She explained that while the virtual version of herself should be "flirty and fun," which she said reflects her personality, she was trying to be "one step ahead" to make sure that the chatbot does not tarnish her reputation.