Sesame, the Oculus founders’ AI startup, launches iOS app
▼ Summary
– Sesame released a public preview of its conversational AI agents via a new iOS app, rethinking the traditional chatbot experience to allow natural, flowing conversation.
– The AI uses fast search and retrieval systems to access up-to-date information and runs multiple parallel searches while speaking, enabling mid-sentence pivots like a human.
– The app offers four distinct AI agents—Maya, Miles, Simone, and Charlie—each with unique voice, personality, and memory, building on a beta accessed by over a million people.
– Features from the beta include search cards, notes, texting mode, deep dives, and an incognito mode for private conversations that saves nothing to memory.
– Sesame plans to launch intelligent eyewear in 2027, with agents eventually able to take actions on behalf of users, not just converse.
On Thursday, Sesame, the AI startup co-founded by the Oculus founders and other alumni of the VR company acquired by Meta, launched a public preview of its conversational AI agents with a new iOS app. The release marks a shift away from the standard chatbot experience seen in apps like ChatGPT, aiming instead for a more natural, flowing dialogue that accommodates moments of silence while the AI processes information.
The company acknowledges a core challenge in its launch announcement: “There’s an inherent tension between replying quickly and taking the time to compose thoughtful responses. A slower response is usually more correct, but it can also feel unnatural if it takes too long.” To solve this, Sesame built fast search and retrieval systems that keep the AI updated with real-time information. The technology also enables the AI to run multiple parallel searches while speaking, weaving those results into its responses mid-conversation. This allows the AI to pivot mid-sentence, much like a human recalling an additional key point, making interactions feel more organic.
The app features four distinct AI agents: Maya, Miles, Simone, and Charlie. Each has a unique voice, personality, point of view, and memory. Maya and Miles were previously available in Sesame’s Research Preview, where they quickly attracted over a million users within the first few weeks, according to investor Sequoia. At that time, Sesame had just closed a $250 million Series B round led by Sequoia and others, and was opening a beta.
During the beta, Sesame incorporated user feedback to roll out features such as search cards with image results for visualizing concepts, notes for capturing takeaways, a texting mode for situations where speaking aloud is impractical, and deep dive support for more thorough responses. A new incognito mode allows for private conversations, giving agents access to prior context without saving anything to memory.
The iOS app is just the beginning of Sesame’s broader ambitions, which include intelligent eyewear expected to launch in 2027. Before that, the agents will evolve beyond thinking alongside users. Sesame hints that future versions will be able to take action on your behalf, justifying the “agent” label rather than simply calling them chatbots. This is particularly compelling because current agentic tools often require precise prompts and a clear understanding of desired outcomes. A conversational agent that you can talk to naturally could guide you through next steps without needing to perfect your commands.
The iOS app is available today in 39 countries, with the full experience free for now, though a short waitlist may apply at sign-up. An Android preview is planned for the future.
(Source: TechCrunch)
