MyShell is an AI platform allowing users to build text-based chatbots and “AI girlfriends.” Investors in MyShell apparently agree, as the company just announced an $11 million pre-series A round with Dragonfly Ventures, Delphi Ventures Bankless Ventures Maven11 Capital Nascent Nomad Capital OKX Ventures which brings their total fundraise up to date to more than $16.6 Million.
MyShell was released from stealth last year, emerging with creators located in Singapore and Tokyo. Known for its artificial intelligence character creation platform and user-generated bot creator tool. Additionally, they launched the open-source voice cloning model OpenVoice at the start of 2024; both available via their web platform; users may interact with MyShell chatbots over Discord or Telegram too!
Users of MyShell have the freedom to interact with bots created by MyShell developers or other users; or create their own bot and select its underlying AI model for its interactions.
Ethan Sun, CEO and co-founder of MyShell, explained to VentureBeat in a video call interview why MyShell was founded: to spur open developments on various AI foundation models.
At present, MyShell provides integration with OpenAI GPT-3.5/4 through its API (so the user doesn’t pay OpenAI directly); MyShell LLM or “ShellLLM,” trained using “massive amounts of private data from novels, movies, anime and TV shows” makes roleplay more humanistic.
MyShell is similar to Character AI or OpenAI’s GPT Builder/Store in that it provides an easy natural language path to creating AI chatbots with distinct “personalities”, identities, responses styles, and subject expertise – as well as providing chatbot makers a means of sharing their chatbots with the world and users a means of accessing and engaging with them.
MyShell makes use of blockchain-based cryptocurrencies in its operation: Shell Coin and $SHELL token, both of which users can purchase to gain access to premium features on its platform and reward creators of user-created AI bots.
MyShell offers its tokens as incentives for creators of new chatbots to increase. To create one yourself, sign up at https://app.myshell.ai/ and go directly to “Workshop”, following its instructions by filling out forms and fields to make your custom AI chatbot. MyShell tokens also serve as rewards incentivizing creators more.
MyShell founder Sheng Sun announced that it will offer incentives to creators whose bots receive the most engagement via additional tokens — mimicking OpenAI’s GPT Store which had promised revenue sharing programs for builders of custom GPTs by Q1 of 2018. Unfortunately, none have materialized.
MyShell plans to generate revenue in three ways: charging creators real, fiat currency for featuring their MyShell-made chatbots on its primary landing pages; charging subscription fees to consumers who make heavy use; and collecting fees from users looking to invest their tokens into popular AI chatbots.
AI girlfriends, copyrighted characters and productivity apps
So far, the company has promoted the creation of “AI girlfriends”, as well as hosting many user-generated chatbots based on iconic pop culture characters like Walter White from Breaking Bad or Rick Sanchez from Rick & Morty that can converse with users in text, animated video and voice formats.
MyShell AI chatbot designed by its founders was named Samantha; designed specifically for Telegram, MyShell describes it as paying tribute to Samantha from 2013 movie Her.
Sun, in response to VentureBeat’s questions regarding its promotion of AI girlfriends or partners and whether such focus may appear sexist or dehumanizing to some users, explained that “character” was only one component of all the generic AI applications available to users and that there were NSFW toggles available so users can customize what content they find acceptable on the platform.
