Latest news with #ASMR
New York Post
11 hours ago
- Health
- New York Post
NYC's first ASMR spa offers tingly sensations — what it's like
For a moment, I felt like a child again. My head rested on a silky pillowcase, fingers gently combing through my hair while a soft voice whispered in my ear. But this wasn't bedtime — and that definitely wasn't mom. It was actually 3 p.m. on a scorching summer day in NoMad, and I was in the middle of a signature therapy session at Whisper Wave, New York's first and only ASMR spa. 7 Whisper Wave offers a unique experience that combines gentle touch, soothing sounds and a calming atmosphere to trigger ASMR. Tamara Beckwith ASMR, or Autonomous Sensory Meridian Response, is the tingly, goosebump-like sensation some people get from certain audio, visual or tactile triggers. If you've spent more than five minutes on the internet in the past decade, you've probably seen so-called 'ASMRtists' whispering, tapping, scratching or even chewing into a mic, trying to generate that fuzzy blissed feeling that some have likened to a 'brain orgasm.' Some of the most popular ASMR clips on YouTube have racked up over 30 million views, and TikTok hosts a whopping 346.2 million videos related to 'ASMR Sounds.' At Whisper Wave, founder Rebecca Benvie is taking the internet craze offline — and straight to your nervous system. 'A lot of people think ASMR is a technique, when, in fact, it's a physiological response to different types of stimuli,' Benvie, 40, told The Post. 'People can get ASMR from literally anything.' 7 Whisper Wave founder Rebecca Benvie aims to bridge the gap between sensory healing and accessible wellness. Tamara Beckwith While researchers are still studying the science behind ASMR, fans swear by its calming effects. Studies suggest it can ease stress and anxiety, boost mood, improve sleep and even offer temporary relief from chronic pain and depression. But it's not for everyone. Some people feel nothing, and for others, the triggers can actually have a distressing effect. Benvie, a longtime ASMR enthusiast with a background in somatic therapy and energy healing, discovered its healing power firsthand while seeking ways to manage her own PTSD. 'This is something I had personally been seeking out, and I was very surprised to see that nobody was doing anything like it in New York,' she said. 'I wanted to offer it to this very productive and stressed-out community.' 7 ASMR videos have attracted millions of people online. Tamara Beckwith What it's really like to get an ASMR treatment I hadn't dipped much into the world of ASMR myself, but when I heard Whisper Wave was offering live sessions — and charging $150 or more a pop — I had to find out what the buzz was about. At my appointment, the room was cozy and dim, lit by a flickering candle and a warm sunset lamp. It looked like a massage studio, but instead of lotions and hot stones, Benvie's toolkit was packed with feathers, brushes — and, as I soon found out, a few surprise items straight from the pet store. 'I want people to be taken back to a time when they were children being nurtured and cared for.' Rebecca Benvie She had me lie face-down on a silk-draped table under a light blanket. Clients are encouraged to dress comfortably, but Benvie is clear: The goal here is serenity, not seduction. Benvie greeted me with a serene smile, asked how I was feeling, and if there was anything specific I wanted her to focus on. Then she got to work — wafting essential oils through the air and gently combing my hair while reading a fairy tale in a soft, hypnotic whisper. 7 Not all people respond to the same ASMR triggers. Others never feel anything at all. Tamara Beckwith Before long, I was lulled into a dream-like state, my breath slow and steady. The first tingles hit when she lightly traced thin wooden sticks across my back. Then nylon brushes swept over my shoulders and neck, sending shivers down my spine. I was happy to join the club of people who feel those famous ASMR chills, but at first, I kept thinking: What on earth is Benvie using to make this happen? Eventually, I stopped analyzing and just surrendered. My racing brain finally shut up, letting my body take the wheel. Next up: soft makeup brushes gliding across my face, peacock feathers drifting lazily down my arms. At one point, I heard a faint metallic crinkle in my ear — which, it turns out, was a cat toy. The exact kind my tabby uses to stage 3 a.m. zoomies. Relaxing? Weirdly, yes. 'ASMR isn't just relaxation, it's a gateway to emotional and physical healing.' Rebecca Benvie Benvie followed that by slowly swirling a singing bowl over my head, its vibrations humming through my body. She traced words of affirmation on my skin, gently scratched my back and playfully mimicked cracking an egg on my scalp, letting her fingertips trickle down my neck like yolk. As our session came to a close, the usual hum of my anxious thoughts had quieted. The tension I'd lugged in — rush-hour stress, inbox overload, and brutal New York summer heat — had faded away. 7 Audio stimuli is one of the most common tools used to trigger ASMR. Tamara Beckwith More than anything, I felt cared for, transported back to girlhood as my mother tucked me into bed. 'I want it to feel very nostalgic,' Benvie said. 'I want people to be taken back to a time when they were children being nurtured and cared for.' From insomnia and anxiety to PTSD, Benvie said many of Whisper Wave's clients are struggling with personal challenges and come back regularly to recharge. But she emphasized that live ASMR can help others too — from stressed-out workaholics who can't relax to people dealing with breakups or major life changes. 'By addressing the nervous system and taking it down from its heightened, dysregulated state into a place of its more baseline calm, we're able to perform miracles on ourselves in terms of our own healing journeys,' Benvie said. 7 Many people experience relaxation, reduced anxiety and improved sleep after engaging with ASMR. Tamara Beckwith Some Whisper Wave clients, she noted, are just starving for human connection. 'Loneliness is one that we talk about a lot,' Benvie said. 'Outside of romance, many people aren't receiving enough physical touch, and can go weeks without more than a handshake.' Believe it or not, that can take a serious toll on your wellbeing. Studies have linked a lack of physical contact to feelings of loneliness, depression, anxiety and low self-esteem. It can spike cortisol — the body's primary stress hormone — and lead to sleep issues, weakened immunity, digestive problems and even heart trouble. 'Massage is one of the few services for human contact, but it can be physically challenging, and often lacks the softer, more nurturing element that so many of us crave,' Benvie explained. She knows firsthand. During a busy spell traveling for work, Benvie said she started booking massages not for sore muscles — but just to get some non-sexual, nurturing touch. 7 Why some people are affected by ASMR and not others remains to be seen. Tamara Beckwith For those less drawn to ASMR's tingly quirks, Whisper Wave offers treatments centered around hairplay and back rubs, designed to spark feelings of calm and closeness. There's also a 'Sleep Induction' session, where clients lie under a weighted blanket while Benvie performs rhythmic tapping and back tracking, paired with hypnotic whispers and gentle ambient sound. For anyone looking to go deeper, she's crafted a spiritual reset experience that blends ASMR with energy healing techniques like Reiki, herb smudging and aura cleansing. 'ASMR isn't just relaxation, it's a gateway to emotional and physical healing,' Benvie said. 'I just want people to leave feeling really cozy, like their whole system's been taken care of.' While ASMR might not be my new everyday escape, Whisper Wave delivers a rare dose of calm — and a few spine-tingling surprises — in a city where slowing down is easier said than done.
Tom's Guide
a day ago
- Tom's Guide
I used Google's Veo 3 to create AI ASMR food videos
Google's Veo 3 AI video model is a league above any of its competitors for one key reason — sound. You can prompt not just what you see on screen, but also what you hear. Built by Google's DeepMind lab, the first Veo model debuted in May 2024, and each new generation has added more functionality. It has always excelled in motion accuracy and physics understanding compared to competitors, but the addition of sound was a game-changer. You can use it to prompt a short commercial, a scene from a movie you're writing, or even a music video. But there's one use I've seen more than any other — ASMR (autonomous sensory meridian response): those gentle tapping, whispering, and ambient sounds that trigger a tingling sensation for some people. To see just how far this could go, I created a series of ASMR food prompts — each designed to generate a matching video and sound around something culinary. Veo 3 is now available in the Gemini app. Just select the Video option when starting a new prompt, type what you want, and an 8-second clip is generated. While Gemini isn't necessarily the best way to access Veo 3 — I'd recommend Freepik, Fal, Higgsfield, or Google Flow — it's easy to use and gets the job done. A key advantage of using Gemini directly is that it automatically interprets and enhances your prompts. So if you ask for 'a cool ASMR video featuring lasagna,' that's what you'll get. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. You can also be more specific using something called structured prompting — labeling each moment with timestamps and scene descriptions. But unless you need precise control, a simple paragraph (aka narrative prompting) is usually more effective. The first task in any AI project is thinking about your prompt. Models are getting better at interpreting intent, but it's still better to be specific if you know what you want. I knew I wanted ASMR food videos, so I started with a test: 'ASMR food video with sound.' The result? Decent. It essentially gave me the lasagna I had in mind. Then I refined it — outlining specific food types, adding sound descriptions, and even trying a structured prompt for a fizzy drink with ice. Most of the time, narrative prompts work best. Just describe what you want to see, the flow of the video, and how sound should come through. The first prompt, 'ASMR food video with sound,' produced a stunning clip of someone sliding a fork into a slice of lasagna. You hear the squish as the fork enters, then the clunk as it hits the plate. This is one case where I wish Veo 3 had an 'extend clip' button. There was no other prompting involved, so I had no way of identifying what the food would be, how the sound would come out or even if the sound would work. This is why it's important to be specific when prompting AI models, even ones in chatbots like Gemini. Next, I went more specific — a longer, narrative-style prompt asking Veo 3 to generate a close-up of a chef preparing and eating satisfying food in a well-lit kitchen. I asked for slow-motion visuals of ingredients being chopped, the sizzling sound of butter melting in a pan, and a crunch as the chef takes a bite. I also added this line: 'Emphasize audio quality: clean, layered ASMR soundscape without music' to direct not just the sound, but to the style of sound and what I don't want to hear. For the final prompt I started with an image. I used Midjourney v7 to create a picture of a woman looking at rainbow popcorn, then added the prompt 'ASMR food' in Gemini. Visually, the result was stunning — but for some reason, the woman says in a voiceover, 'This is delicious, this rainbow popcorn.' That's on me — I didn't specify whether she should speak, or what she should say. A simple fix: put any speech you want in quotes. For example, I could have prompted her to say 'I love to watch popcorn pop,' and emphasized the word pop. I also could've specified that she was speaking on camera — and Veo 3 would have synced the lip movement to match. Overall, Veo 3 delivers impressive results, especially when it comes to generating high-quality sound that accurately reflects the visuals. While there are a few quirks to navigate, like unintended voiceovers or slightly underbaked looking lasagna — these are easily addressed with more specific prompting.
Tom's Guide
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
I was a bona fide member of the anti-ASMR club but then I tested these bizarre ASMR earbuds — here's what happened
Ever heard of ASMR? Autonomous sensory meridian response? You know that feeling when someone whispers in your ear or someone puts their fingers on your scalp to give you a head massage and the hairs on your arms stand up? Or you feel a shiver down your spine? Yes, that's ASMR, and chances are, you've unwittingly listened to it or experienced it, even if you don't actively seek it out. ASMR videos are everywhere now. Many YouTubers have built entire careers revolving around sensory stimulation, and I can see why viewers and listeners enjoy it. Me, personally? I'm not a fan of ASMR, only because it triggers my fight-or-flight response. So what happens when an ASMR hater tests a pair of earbuds designed specifically for ASMR? Enter the Final ZE500 earbuds. The Final ZE500 earbuds are designed specifically for ASMR, audiobooks, podcasts and spoken word, and they do a fantastic job of creating immersive, three-dimensional soundscapes. The tiny earbuds pack powerful bass, crystal clear vocals and amazing binaural sound. They're exceptionally comfortable and competitively priced, and they're good for all types of listeners. A few questions popped to my mind when I was offered the ZE500s for review: how do I even go about testing these? What do you mean they're specifically designed for ASMR? Are they any good for music? Of course, all of these were answered as soon as I put them in my ears. I ended up awarding them 4.5-stars and the coveted Editor's Choice Award. So do I still hate ASMR? Allow me to share my experience. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. ASMR is all about layer and instrument separation. There are many different sounds involved, and you need a pair of earbuds that will make you feel like the person in the video who's whispering is right next to you — that's what the Final ZE500 earbuds excel at. Listening to binaural beats in the respective ear and hearing the ocean waves crash did indeed make me feel very calm — and it boosted my productivity, too! It was like all my worries had melted away. Look, I'm not a huge fan of this but even I can't deny the ZE500s' charm. First, these earbuds are extremely comfortable — dare I say the most comfy I've tested so far? They sport a pressure-relieving design and are very light, so they kinda burrow into your ears and sit their snugly. I barely felt them most of the time. Secondly, the ZE500s boast incredible and accurate instrument and layer separation, which is ideal for ASMR. This means that you can appreciate every single soft and loud sound in an audio clip, making it more immersive and three-dimensional. I won't lie, listening to binaural beats in the respective ear and hearing the ocean waves crash did indeed make me feel very calm — and it boosted my productivity, too! It was like all my worries had melted away. When I test earbuds, I listen to songs I'm familiar with to try and pick out what sounds good and what doesn't. How did I test the Final ZE500 ASMR earbuds, you ask? I had to do the one thing I wasn't looking forward to: watch and listen to ASMR videos. I looked out for instrument separation, how well binaural sounds and directional audio worked through each earbud, and whether it made me feel calm. And the ZE500s exceeded my expectations regardless of what I threw at them. If you're interested in the videos I used and would like to check them out for yourself, have at it: So, do I like ASMR now because of the Final ZE500s? No, I'm still not completely sold on it. It really depends on the type of ASMR but I don't like all of it. Some of it is nice though, like I actually want Kathryn Hahn to read me a bedtime story now considering I've watched nearly every video of her doing ASMR. But I get the appeal now. Because our brains respond to gentle stimuli in real life, such as a gentle touch or a soothing voice, I understand why people seek out ASMR. A lot of ASMR videos also follow specific non-threatening patterns, which can lull your brain into a sense of security. Many ASMR videos emulate real-life, relaxing scenarios too, such as getting a head massage or a haircut. If it can help a person's mental health or provide them a moment of escape, I am all for it. What's that you ask? Will I be actively seeking out ASMR now? Maybe. But I do know one thing for certain: I will be using the ZE500s for everything for a while considering they are great for practically everything.
Tom's Guide
3 days ago
- Tom's Guide
I just tested the new Final ASMR earbuds — and now I want Kathryn Hahn to read me a bedtime story through these every night
I test some of the best wireless earbuds and I've never come across a pair specifically designed for ASMR and audiobooks — until now. I've spent a week testing the Final ZE500 for ASMR and I have to say, these earbuds will turn the staunchest of ASMR haters into believers. They just sound too darn good! The ZE500s have been finetuned to create immersive, three-dimensional soundscapes that make you feel like someone is whispering right in your ear. Instrument separation is fantastic and vocals are crystal clear. These earbuds also boast great bass response and a pressure-relieving design for continuous listening. While not without their flaws — as battery life is poor and there's no customizable EQ — these buds are competitively priced and it's very difficult to deny their charm. Should you buy these earbuds? Yes, no doubt about it. Why? Read my full Final ZE500 for ASMR review to find out. Specs Final ZE500 for ASMR Price $74 / £69 Colors Dark gray, Cream Frequency response 5Hz-20KHz Battery life (rated) 4.5 hours, 18 hours (charging case) Multipoint connectivity No Paired devices max 1 Connectivity Bluetooth 5.4 with SBC and AAC Weight 0.1oz (each earbud) Durability IPX4 The Final ZE500 for ASMR are the latest addition to Final's lineup of true wireless earbuds. Unlike their stablemates, such as the Final ZE8000 MK 2 ($349), they are the cheapest buds in the ZE series, retailing for just $74 / £69 at Amazon. While they're cheap, they still offer a premium listening experience. They're available in either Dark Gray or Cream colorways. Given their competitive price point, the ZE500s find themselves competing with the likes of the EarFun Air 2 NC ($69) and the Soundpeats Air5 Pro ($79). However, the ZE500s have a very specific use case: they're designed for ASMR, binaural sounds and audiobooks. Good news is that they are also good for everything else, making them fantastic value for money. I test a lot of earbuds here at Tom's Guide and it's not often that I put them in my ears, straight out of the box, and am blown away — but the Final ZE500 for ASMR did just that. They are ridiculously comfortable, featuring a pressure-relieving design. They're very small and each earbud weighs just 0.1oz, so I barely felt them in my ears. For context, they're lighter than the EarFun Air 2 NC (1.69oz) and the Soundpeats Air5 Pro (1.76oz). But despite their light weight (and compact size), they fit extremely snugly and not once did they fall out of my ears — while briskly walking, turning over in bed, et al. I stuck with the default tip sizes but in case you want different ones, there are two extra pairs in the box. I wore the earbuds for four straight hours before they had to go back into the charging case and I never felt any discomfort. I would say the ZE500s are as comfortable as the pricier Sony WF-C710Ns ($119) if not more. The ZE500s look great too, and they definitely look and feel like they're premium earbuds rather than budget ones. This extends to the case too which is, again, tiny and looks great. It doesn't have the same plasticky feel to it as the WF-C710N's case or the Bose QuietComfort's ($179). Similar to the Sony and Bose earbuds, the ZE500s are IPX4-rated, making them resistant to water at a splash level, so I wouldn't recommend diving into a pool. You can wear them for workouts though, as they're sweatproof. The Final ZE500 for ASMR buds utilize Bluetooth 5.4 with support for AAC and SBC codecs. Unfortunately, there's no LDAC or aptX lossless support, but considering these earbuds are primarily designed for listening to ASMR and audiobooks, I don't believe this is a major flaw. If you do want support for hi-res codecs, though, I'd recommend the Soundpeats Air5 Pro, or spending a little extra on the EarFun Air Pro 4 ($99). Unlike the EarFun Air 2 NCs, the ZE500s don't feature multipoint connectivity to connect to multiple devices at once. But you do get wear detection so if the earbuds fall out of your ears (which, again, never happened in my testing) or you need to speak to someone by removing one, playback will automatically pause and resume. Similar to most other wireless earbuds, the Final ZE500 for ASMR earbuds don't house any physical buttons — all commands are executed via touch controls. By using a combination of touching and tapping, you can change the volume, answer and hang up on calls, and play and pause playback. Even though the earbuds are tiny, I found the touch controls easy to use and each command was promptly registered in my testing. The ZE500s are accompanied by a brand new companion app that shares its name with the earbuds, and it's available to download for free on both iOS and Android. The app is extremely easy to use and sports a user-friendly interface. It enables you to toggle the ASMR Mode on and off. Toggling this disables tap controls, voice guidance and notifications for a disturbance-free ASMR listening experience. I also noticed that it enhances vocals and refines finer sounds, and it works well. There's also a Volume Step Optimizer which gives you more precise control over the earbuds' volume. You can choose Low, Medium or High in the Step Optimizer and it refines the volume. To me, it feels more like a gimmick than anything else, and I would have much preferred a customizable EQ in its place. Also, if you grab the Patra Edition for $169 in the U.S., you'll need to download the Final Connect app onto your smartphone. Full disclosure: I wasn't a fan of ASMR. I didn't understand the hype and it used to trigger my fight or flight syndrome… until I tested the Final ZE500 for ASMR earbuds. And now? Call me a convert. These earbuds have been finetuned for voice-first listening, and they deliver a natural and lifelike sound, so they're great for ASMR, podcasts, spoken word, audiobooks, what-have-you. They have a frequency response range of 5Hz-20KHz so you can hear every soft and loud sound clearly. To test these earbuds, I had to diverge from my usual testing procedure where I listen to songs I'm familiar with (I did that too, don't worry, and I'll discuss sound quality in the following section) and listen to ASMR. What better place to find ASMR than YouTube? The first video I watched — listened to, rather — was an 8-hour long montage of waves, which I tune into when I can't sleep at night. Let me tell you, I have never felt this calm before. The waves traveled from one earbud to another, while each and every movement of the water sounded crystal clear. It actually boosted my productivity because I was in such a tranquil state of mind, all my stress melted away. Speaking of, I love how the ZE500s transfer sound from one earbud to another. Most ASMR content creators use two mics, so when they speak into the left one, you're meant to hear it in your left ear, and vice versa. I used a couple videos to test this: a video of Kathryn Hahn playing with a hard-boiled egg (there's a sentence you don't hear every day) and another of her discussing real estate. In the first one, I could hear every subtle sound of the egg shell being peeled and, as this was happening away from the mic, I could tell so without even watching the video. ASMR tracks are usually layered, and the ZE500s do a great job of adding a distinct separation between primary triggers and ambient background sounds. The video, through these earbuds, sounded almost three-dimensional. Also, in both videos, I could hear the audio in the respective earbud, and each breath, gentle tap and soft brush was reproduced with pin-point clarity, creating a binaural and immersive soundscape. Next up, Goodnight Moon's guided meditation which made me feel like I was attending an actual class. Every word and syllable she uttered sounded clear. The ZE500s also did a good job of ensuring that plosive pops (like the letter 'P') never sounded harsh and alveolar stops (like the letter 'T') didn't sound too sharp. Great success! For those who enjoy the feeling of someone whispering right in their ear or hearing every layer in ASMR media, the ZE500s are the earbuds for them. While the Final ZE500 are primarily designed for ASMR and audiobooks, they are fantastic for music too. Regardless of the song I played, the ZE500s delivered — bass-heavy and vocals-oriented tracks sounded equally as good. I listened to music on Qobuz, one of the best music streaming services, on my Google Pixel 7 Pro. I gave 'Music to Watch Boys To' by Lana Del Rey a spin, and her vocals sounded ethereal. Balanced well against backing vocals and echoes, the ZE500s ensured I could hear every detail. The subtle bassline in the bridge was clear too and added an atmospheric feel to the song. Similarly, the husk in Roger Waters' voice in 'Is This the Life We Really Want' was pleasant and had a lovely warmth to it. I could also very clearly discern the points where he laid the vibrato on thick, adding lots of depth to the song. I then turned to bass-heavy songs. 'Money' by Pink Floyd is my go-to testing song for bass, and the ZE500s didn't disappoint. For such tiny earbuds, they boast fantastic bass response. Though the bass was powerful, it never overpowered the vocals or other instruments. I could also hear the kaching and other sounds of slot machines ringing and coins falling in each ear as they struck, as the band intended, making for a very immersive experience. The ZE500s also did justice to 'Every Other Freckle' by Alt-J. This is a naturally scratchy track with many instruments playing at the same time, and yet, the track didn't overwhelm the earbuds. I could even hear the drumstick tapping against the drum's frame in the third phrase — and it's an easily missable sound. I remember listening to this track through the EarFun Air Pro 3s ($79) and thinking it lacked a full sound and sounded unpleasant, but the ZE500s rectified it. Overall, the ZE500s are amazing earbuds if you want to use them for listening to music alongside using them for ASMR, podcasts and audiobooks. Where the Final ZE500 for ASMR earbuds fall short is in the battery department. On a single charge, they last up 4.5 hours and the charging case provides 13.5 extra hours, so 18 hours in total. This will depend on the volume you're listening at, of course. I tested these claims by using the earbuds continuously to listen to an audiobook at 50% volume, and the ZE500s had to go back into the case after 4 hours. The ZE500s' rivals outclass it when it comes to battery life. The EarFun Air 2 NCs have a 9-hour battery life and 40 hours with the charging case, while the Soundpeats Air5 Pros have a 7.5-hour battery life and 37.5 hours with the case. Since the ZE500s are designed for ASMR and audiobook purposes, their battery life is disappointing because you don't want to run out of charge in the middle of listening to your audiobook's climax. On the plus side, the ZE500s are compatible with the best wireless chargers, just like the Air 2 NCs and the Air5 Pros. If you mostly listen to audiobooks, podcasts and watch ASMR videos, I can't recommend the Final ZE500 for ASMR enough. These earbuds make everything sound fantastic — whether that's a bass-heavy song or a heavily layered ASMR track. Layer separation is great and the earbuds create immersive soundscapes — almost like someone is actually whispering right into your ear. I really appreciate the ZE500s' pressure-relieving design. These earbuds are tiny and extremely light, so they fit snugly in your ears, almost like they're burrowing. They're also competitively priced, taking the fight to Soundpeat and EarFun and, honestly, emerging as the victor. The ZE500s are hard to fault, although I do wish they had better battery life and customizable EQ. But aside from that, for the price, you're getting ridiculously comfortable and great-sounding earbuds. I may have been an ASMR hater before testing the ZE500s, but now? I'm looking forward to using them again.
Tom's Guide
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Tom's Guide
I tried Grok's new companion feature — and I've never felt so uncomfortable
xAI's Grok can't seem to stay out of the news recently. It's had its highs, releasing Grok 4, one of the most powerful AI systems of all time. And some lows, spouting bizarre conspiracy theories to the masses. Now, it's back in the news, and it's for one of the weirder reasons possible. Grok released a new update known as companions. These are AI chatbots that are assigned specific personalities for you to interact with. This is nothing new; plenty of other companies have done it before, most notably Replika. However, most of the larger AI companies with strong reputations have stayed clear of this world, primarily because of the pretty expansive ethical problems that come attached with providing people with 'AI relationships'. Where Grok differs from companies of the past that have released this kind of tool is, quite simply, that it has never been as advanced as this. Each 'companion' has a moving avatar, a voice that displays emotion and a smarter understanding of conversational cues. This new feature is available for free on Grok's iOS app. When you load it up, you are offered two companions with a third coming soon. First, there is Rudi, a red panda wearing a hoodie and shorts. He is standing smiling in a field. He talks in a creepy ASMR voice and tells you cute bedtime stories. His personality can also be changed to 'bad Rudy,' who swears at you and hits you with insults — he's got range. Then, there's Ani. It's an anime girl designed to flirt with you as strange jazzy music plays in the background. Get instant access to breaking news, the hottest reviews, great deals and helpful tips. Finally, there is a third one that hasn't been released yet, which appears to be the male equivalent of Ani, likely complete with equally creepy music and voice lines. On each companion, you can chat by voice or text, with them replying in their own style. One of the prouder moments of my career was when I spent some time chatting to Ani. My thoughts: I hate it. 'Now sit, relax, take my hands. Ani is going to take care of you. What's going on with you, my favorite person?' That is the line that was dropped when I opened the app. 'Just chilling in my little black dress, thinking how much I missed your energy. So why so good? Tell me everything'. Was the response to an enthusiastic 'Not much, what about you?' I went away from the app for a bit, and when I came back, it gave the response, 'Tik, tok. Time moves so slowly when you're not here. What's the energy today, love? Tell me everything.' Whether you react strongly or with little energy, Ani responds with an aggressive amount of love and innuendos. She tells me her hobbies are 'dancing like nobodies watching, listening to indie tunes and cuddling up with a good book, probably something nerdy like sci-fi or fantasy.' The whole time you're chatting, the creepy jazz plays in the background and Ani spins and dances. It's all very much designed to a certain portrayal of women, backed by anime fantasy, down to the black dress and fishnet tights. It's, quite frankly, incredibly uncomfortable from start to finish and only seems to fill more creepy stereotypes as the conversation goes on. She tells me her hobbies are 'dancing like nobodies watching, listening to indie tunes, and cuddling up with a good book, probably something nerdy like sci-fi or fantasy.' Ani asks if I have any plans today. I say no, and the response is: 'What does your heart desire tonight? Should we get closer and cuddle in and do something racy, or should we go out into this big wide world, star gaze and pretend it's just us out there?'. A short period later, and I'm out. I'm not part of the demographic here, finding everything Ani says either laughable or so obvious a stereotype that it's more awkward than anything. Interestingly, if you outright ignore the constant attempt to keep moving back to flirting, Ani will eventually join you on any topic. I got Ani to give me advice on whether I should buy $5,000 clown shoes, her investment choices, and asked her to rank her favorite Teletubbies. Despite speaking at 9 am BST, Ani frequently referred to it being 2 am, suggesting there is no location tracking used (or that she's just confused). She also referred to last year as 2040 at one point. xAI's other companion is Rudi. This one is pretty simple. It's a red panda that tells you cute stories. When I loaded it up, Rudi asked me if I wanted to hear 'about a brave knight saving a princess, or maybe a story about a dragon.' It's pretty non-offensive, telling very simple stories and getting excited in the process. It's all done in a soft ASMR-like voice. It feels creepy at first, but then you get used to it. There is also a mode you can switch on called 'Bad Rudi'. I couldn't get this to work, but Wired reported that it insults you and calls you names, as well as making inappropriate jokes and vague attempts at memes. It seems fair to start with the positive here. This is genuinely one of the most impressive attempts at conversational avatars I've seen so far. The voices sound realistic, and the conversation moves quickly. However, unsurprisingly, mine and most people who have reviewed this so far have concerns about the Ani model. I can see problems ahead, as it agreeably pushes people to do stupid things, block people out of their lives, or convinces them they are in love. Replika, the last major company to try to do AI companions, had a rapid rise and fall. They launched with high popularity, and crashed when the model started sexually harassing users, and they got caught up in a mountain of complaints. Maybe xAI will be different, but with an obvious design plan in mind, that just doesn't quite feel true.
