Using AI Technology to Tell Your Story: Autobiographer’s Unique Approach
Autobiographer, a startup leveraging AI technology, aims to revolutionize the way we tell our life stories. Unlike other AI-powered platforms that seek to replace human creativity, Autobiographer acts as a collaborator, guiding users to share their own experiences and emotions. By transforming these conversations into prose, Autobiographer effectively creates a personalized autobiography.
Documenting Family History and Creating Keepsakes
While Autobiographer may not replace professionally handwritten stories, it offers a unique opportunity to document family history, preserve friendships, or create keepsakes for future generations. Co-founder and CEO Matt Bowman, who served in the Army Special Forces, envisions using the app to leave behind a narrative for his godchildren. By sharing his military experiences and personal anecdotes, Bowman hopes to provide his godchildren with a deeper understanding of their father’s life and character.
Harnessing the Power of Artificial Intelligence
Autobiographer co-founder James Barnes, who also worked at Facebook during the 2016 and 2018 elections, discovered the reflective capacity of artificial intelligence while experimenting with OpenAI’s GPT-3. He realized that AI could help him process significant events in his life. This realization led him to team up with Bowman and explore the idea of using AI for storytelling.
The Power of Connection and Introspection
Barnes and Bowman bonded over their shared goals and interests, including psychedelic medicine and exploring consciousness. As they work on tangible aspects of the app, they also consider its capacity to allow users to introspect and engage in more abstract, personal work. Autobiographer becomes a tool not only for storytelling but also for self-reflection and personal growth.
Engaging Conversations with an AI Agent
Using Anthropic technology, Autobiographer prompts users to tell their stories through engaging conversations with an AI agent. Users receive prompts such as recounting an adventure, with the reminder that there are no right or wrong answers. They can speak freely, pause and resume recording, or move on to another question. Memories are stored securely in a vault, ensuring privacy and protection.
Transforming Memories into Prose
Autobiographer allows users to revisit topics, explore their memories, and ultimately transform them into different types of prose. Whether it’s a short story or a gratitude letter for a loved one, Autobiographer enables users to export their narratives as PDFs. The team plans to offer printed books in the future, further preserving these personal stories.
Price and Partnership
Autobiographer costs $199 per year, making it a more affordable option compared to hiring a ghostwriter. The company has also partnered with journalist Katie Couric to serve as a promotional partner, though the specifics of her role are still being defined.
A Journey of Innovation
Founded three and a half years ago, Autobiographer has undergone several pivots to reach its current version, which launched a year ago. With $4 million in pre-seed funding from various firms, Autobiographer continues to innovate and revolutionize the way we share our life stories.
