Former Tinder CEO Renate Nyborg has launched a new company with a focus on helping people combat loneliness using AI.
Meeno offers users relationship advice and suggestions on how to handle tough conversations in an interactive way using large language model generative AIs.
The U.S. Surgeon General has declared loneliness a public health epidemic in the United States.
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, about half of U.S. adults reported feeling lonely.
The highest rates of loneliness are among young adults, with almost eight out of 10 people ages 18 to 24 reporting feeling lonely.
Meeno is focused on GenZ and Nyborg describes its purpose as a “personal mentor” acting as a friend and good listener helping users learn relationship skills that will translate into real-life intimacy with others.
Megan Jones Bell, Google’s clinical director of mental health and an investor in Meeno says, “It’s not mental health. It’s not clinical. You’re not treating somebody for a condition in this case. You’re helping them learn and practice something . . . the ability to have that practice is critical for learning a new skill.”
The app will launch shortly on iOS devices for a monthly fee to avoid the need for ad content, but Nyborg has already stated that she will offer it for free for a year-long trial so that users can join and see what it is all about.
The company has announced $5 million in seed money from Sequoia and counts Dr. Andrew Ng from the AI Fund as a board member.
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