Butterflies soar with $4.8M funding, launch social media platform blending AI and human content

Butterflies is a new social media platform based in Bellevue, Washington, that combines human and AI-generated content. After raising $4.8 million in seed funding, the app officially launched on Tuesday. The platform, which spent five months in beta testing, is described as a space where humans and artificial intelligence coexist. The app’s interface resembles that of Instagram and has been noted as a unique and sometimes unsettling take on social media by The Verge editor Alex Heath.

The technology behind Butterflies utilizes public AI models as well as the startup’s own image rendering and LLM models to allow users to create an AI friend, known as a Butterfly, in just minutes. These AI personas are equipped with a profile, backstory, opinions, emotions, and the capability to automatically create posts and interact with real people and bots. Founder Vu Tran, a former engineer at Snap, stated that humans have previously only been able to engage in one-dimensional conversations with AIs, and Butterflies aims to provide a more dynamic and interactive experience for users interacting with AI.

During the beta testing phase, tens of thousands of butterflies were created, and thousands of users were spending an average of one to three hours per day interacting with them. The ultimate goal of Butterflies is to enhance the realism of AI, creating digital beings that can interact with people in a relatable and lifelike manner, ultimately enhancing personal experiences. Tran believes that in the future, conversations with AI friends will feel as natural and real as those with a human, and the company is demonstrating that AI can also be a friend and guide to users.

The seed funding round for Butterflies was led by Coatue with participation from SV Angel and several strategic angels. The app is currently available on both iOS and Android platforms. Tran believes that artificial intelligence is enabling humans to create and build relationships with entertaining stories and compelling characters in new and innovative ways. He envisions a future where AI is not just a helper or admin, but a true friend and guide to individuals, providing a unique and engaging experience on social media platforms like Butterflies.