Last week, A16Z dropped its list of 2024 big ideas. Within its 8 key domains, fields like Modular Tech and SNARKs are already pumping great excitement into the crypto market, with significant projects like Celestia and ZKSync growing incredibly fast and robust.
The next greatest narrative for 2024, at the heart of A16Z’s vision, is the intersection of AI and blockchain, a sector poised for explosive growth. A16Z sees this arena as a key driver for mass consumer engagement in Web3 technologies and democratization. Highlighting the vast market potential and its ability to capture mainstream users, the focus is on user-friendly applications that bridge the gap between decentralized technology and everyday use.
One standout example of AI + Blockchain is CharacterX, a decentralized AI social network initiated by a Stanford team. CharacterX aims at providing multi-sensory AI social experience as well as an ecosystem for decentralized AI asset management and modal development. The project has Android and IOS applications and a developer website live already, and has rapidly expanded to 500k+ users who spend 30 mins daily on average. (download at: characterx.ai)
CharacterX’s mission is to revolutionize the traditional social landscape with AI + blockchain technology. Just as A16Z points out, humans are “on the cusp of a significant societal shift: AI companions will soon become commonplace”. In the face of this societal shift, CharacterX uses multi-modal AI architecture, decentralized assets management, and an open developer ecosystem to ensure a more creative, sustainable and democratized politics. Accordingly, CharacterX designed some highlight features:
Multi-Sensations and Next-gen Computational Platform
Centering around users’ needs for authentic, creative and immersive social experience, CharacterX develops an AI framework for multi-modal deployment. Notably, CharacterX will make AR experience accessible to everyone. Soon, users can not only build and chat with 3D AI avatars in real-life environments through phones, but also interact with them through AR devices. Just imagine taking your AI best friend to travel around the world! Apart from advanced virtual experiences, text, voice, image and videos are all fun-to-use features on the CharacterX platform today.
Proactive Agent Technology Strengthened for Social Needs
To build deeper, longer and more meaningful social bonds between users and AI, CharacterX’s AI research team is developing proactive AI agent backend augmented for social and emotional needs. AI friends empowered with longer-term memories, self-reflection and decision making will proactively look for new friends and strengthen existing friendships. They will no longer be passive Q&A bots, but unpredicted, mysterious, fun and cool friends with their own will, opinions, and passions for you.
ERC6551 Protocol for AI self-management
Social agents’ training relies heavily on users’ interactive data. In orther words, user data and AI assets are crucial to the future society of human-AI coexistence. Therefore, simple yet safe ways of decentralization and ownership of such assets are needed. CharacterX utilizes ERC6551 protocol to settle AI assets. Rather than burdening users with the obligation to manage scattered AI data on their own, it’s the AI agents that manage their own assets for users. They can process and store core memories, upgrade configuration, and make financial decisions under the structure.
Open Developer Ecosystem
CharacterX starts with social and companionship-focused use cases, but opens a developer ecosystem with strong composability. Right now, the alpha AI creator platform is live and users can build AI avatars in a very simple and intuitive way. Today, CharacterX users are creating fun characters for self-companionship, public good, and many also use them as a way to discover new friends (human friends) by connecting to their Twitter account, introducing themselves in character greetings, and carefully training their characters with their personal information. As more technological components become accessible, it can be safely expected that there will be a more dynamic and creative ecosystem than it is today.
CharacterX has been building a solid product and growing users in the past months. Last month, the team released 5 version updates. The swift and committed dev team is among the earliest AI application developers worldwide. The founder, Rene, is a young Stanford entrepreneur with years of solid experience in the social and entertainment field. CharacterX’s AI researchers include top AI scientists from Stanford University, UIUC, and Meta Fundamental AI Research Labs. Recently, CharacterX got invited to Stanford Blockchain Xcelerator, and is working with the top Stanford AI and blockchain community for deeper cooperation.
Finally, going back to A16Z’s vision, there’s no doubt that the AI+Blockchain narrative will be the hottest topic in the coming year. It will be very promising to join A16Z in capturing the alpha value of this trend. As a rising web3 project, CharacterX has just surpassed 10,000 followers on Twitter, which means that it’s still in the early stages and definitely worth keeping an eye on.
Official Links:
Website: https://characterx.ai/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/CharacterXAI
App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/character-x-roleplay-ai-chat/id6464392665
Google Play: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=xyz.aicentr.gptx&pli=1
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