Creepy Voice AI + Muppet Dating Apps

Today, I want to discuss the biggest topic in my team’s group chat. It's simultaneously fascinating and unsettling: AI that sounds indistinguishable from humans.

You might have seen the recent buzz around Sesame AI's voice technology. Their new conversational AI, featuring two personas named "Maya" and "Miles," has crossed what they call "the uncanny valley of conversational voice." Several tech reviewers have reported that the experience is so convincing that others in the room couldn't tell they were talking to an AI.

The Voice That Fools Everyone

What makes this development particularly interesting is that it goes beyond just generating human-like speech. 

Sesame's AI incorporates the subtle nuances of human conversation - thoughtful pauses, references to earlier parts of the conversation, emotional variations, and even sarcastic comments and humor. They call this quality "voice presence" - that magical element that makes spoken interactions feel authentic and valued.

One reviewer noted that his wife walked by during his conversation with "Maya" and genuinely thought he was on a call with a real person. That's a level of realism we haven't seen before.

Digital Relationships

This reminds me of an interesting intersection with some work we've been exploring at Mission. About two years ago, we were approached to develop a sophisticated AI-powered dating app platform. Instead of swiping through profiles, users would interact with AI avatars trained to represent potential matches.

The goal was to determine compatibility before actual human interaction by having these AI proxies engage in preliminary conversations. The goal of this was to save time and reduce the emotional toll of unsuccessful first interactions. While this idea was cool, the technology wasn’t there yet. 

But this concept becomes much more interesting with voice AI like Sesame's. 

Imagine "meeting" potential partners first through their AI proxies that perfectly capture their speech patterns, sense of humor, and conversational style. The technology could create a safe space to explore compatibility before committing to an actual date.

AI-to-AI Matchmaking

Taking this concept a step further, what if we removed humans from the initial equation entirely?

Your personal AI representative could interact with others' AI proxies to determine potential compatibility based on conversational dynamics, shared interests, and communication styles.

This starts to sound like a modern version of arranged marriages, but with AI as the matchmaker. 
Your digital proxy does the preliminary work of finding compatible matches by engaging with other AI representatives, filtering potential connections based on your preferences, communication style, and values.

Only when a strong match is identified will humans be brought together, having already established a baseline of compatibility through their AI proxies. 

Now, I will admit, this is a little creepy. But it does have some serious potential to eliminate dating fatigue that I’m sure a lot of people deal with!

AI Voice – Beyond Just Dating Apps

The applications for this technology extend far beyond dating. Imagine an AI that can join meetings on your behalf, perfectly capturing your knowledge, communication style, and decision-making approach.

For distributed teams, AI voices could help bridge cultural and communication gaps, adapting communication styles to suit different team members' preferences while maintaining the integrity of the message.

The Ethics Question

Of course, technology this convincing raises some interesting ethical considerations. When AI becomes indistinguishable from humans, we need clear guidelines about disclosure and consent. Should AI always identify itself as non-human? What happens when we can no longer tell the difference?

There's also the question of emotional attachment. As these AI companions become more personable and relatable, what psychological impact of forming bonds with non-human entities should we consider?

What This Means For Your Business

For those implementing AI in business settings, voice interfaces are becoming a primary way to interact with technology. Companies that adapt quickly to this shift will have a significant advantage in user experience and customer engagement.

At Mission, we're helping customers incorporate these advanced conversational interfaces into their customer service and internal communication tools, ensuring they stay ahead of competitors in their industries.

What do you think about this new human-like AI? Would you trust an AI matchmaker to find your perfect partner? Or does the whole thing feel a bit too much like science fiction for your taste?

Until next time,
Ryan Ries

Now time for this week’s image and prompt I used to generate it. 

"Generate an image of a muppet using a muppet dating app. In the image, you should see the interface of the app on the muppet's phone. You should see the muppet swiping right on a match. The muppet is wearing an AWS t-shirt."

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