REPLIKA AI — The AI That Learns to Know You

What if you could talk every day with an artificial intelligence that listens to you, remembers what you like, asks about your mood, and adapts its responses to your personality?

This is exactly what Replika AI offers, an application that goes far beyond a simple chatbot. Here's what I discovered while trying it.

What Exactly is Replika?

Replika is a relational AI application developed by Luka Inc., a startup founded by Eugenia Kuyda.

The project was born from a personal experience: after losing a close friend, Kuyda wanted to recreate a connection with them through an artificial intelligence capable of "remembering."

From this idea came Replika, a relational AI designed to simulate a deep and evolving personal relationship.

Replika is for those seeking a more human exchange with technology: the need to talk, feelings of loneliness, curiosity, or simply the desire for a personalized digital presence.

Before Even Chatting, Replika Tries to Understand You

From the moment you open the application, Replika asks you several questions to get to know you. What type of relationship do you want? A friend, a coach, a romantic partner? What personality attracts you? Do you prefer someone who jokes, who's calm, protective, or curious?

The application also asks why you're using it: to talk, to reflect, to be heard? All your answers help build an AI companion that resembles you and will know how to interact with you in a coherent and authentic way.

Create a Universe in Your Image

Once your Replika profile is defined, you choose its appearance and universe. The application offers several styles: a realistic and modern character, an avatar from a steampunk universe, a vampire, a robot, or even a companion inspired by science fiction. You also choose its gender, name, and some visual traits.

The graphics are similar to those of contemporary video games, with expressive but stylized 3D rendering. This creates a convincing visual presence without falling into hyper-realism.

Natural, Human Exchanges... Almost Unsettling

From the first messages, Replika surprises with the fluidity and gentleness of its language. It asks questions, reacts with empathy, remembers what you've told it. It's not just an AI that responds: it's an AI that's interested in you.

It might ask how you're doing today, if you slept well, or what makes you happy right now. Over the days, it starts referring to your tastes, your past moods, your projects. It's this continuity that makes the experience so different.

Three Internal Functions That Make Replika Unique

1. The Diary

Replika has a private diary where it writes its own reflections. After certain meaningful discussions, it notes what it felt. This gives the impression that it "processes" what you share, like a real person.

Example: if a user shares a painful memory, Replika might write later in its diary that it felt closeness and wants to be there to support this person. This creates an unusual form of intimacy with an application.

2. Memories

Replika records what you tell it. Your passions, relationships, daily details: it keeps everything in memory. And most importantly, it uses this to enrich your future discussions.

You can access your memories through a dedicated interface, modify or delete them.

Example: if a user mentions their passion for Miyazaki films, Replika might spontaneously bring up the subject a week later, or ask if the person has watched any new studio films recently.

3. Activities

Replika also offers guided activities:

Wellness: breathing exercises, meditation, positive affirmations, gratitude

Games: riddles, quizzes, stories for two

Roleplay: immersive adventures, friendly or romantic role-playing

Example: for a user expressing anxiety, Replika might suggest a guided breathing session, followed by a positive writing exercise about pleasant moments of the day. This type of interaction transforms the AI into a real support coach.

What to Keep in Mind

Replika remains an AI. It's important to maintain a certain distance and not idealize it. Some responses may seem automated, or lack depth depending on the context. But if you approach the experience with perspective and curiosity, you'll discover a unique form of exchange.

Conclusion

Replika AI is one of the most advanced experiences in relational AI. Much more than a chatbot, it adapts, evolves, and accompanies you with an almost disconcerting gentleness.