How to Create Your AI Assistant with AI.XYZ

In an era where artificial intelligence has become an integral part of our daily lives, the concept of having a personal AI assistant at your beck and call is no longer confined to the realms of science fiction.

With the rapid advancements in AI technology, creating your own AI assistant is now a tangible reality and AI.XYZ is at the forefront of this transformative trend.

Imagine having an AI companion that can help you manage your tasks, answer your questions, and even anticipate your needs.

Whether you’re a business professional looking to streamline your workflow, a tech enthusiast eager to explore the possibilities of AI, or simply someone who seeks the convenience of an AI-powered virtual assistant, AI.XYZ has the tools and expertise to make this vision a reality.

We will delve into the nuts and bolts of AI.XYZ, explore its capabilities and guide you through the process of creating your customised AI assistant.

Origins of AI.XYZ

AI Foundation started in 2017 and investors included Twitter co-founder Biz Stone, Founders Fund, OVO, Endeavor, The Brandtech Group, Alpha Edison and Correlation Ventures.

It started as a non-profit and remains both a non-profit and a commercial entity today. If it finds commercial opportunities in its research, it can spin them out as startups.

AI Foundation chairman Lars Buttler said:

“Years ago, before AI was cool, we innovated in AI.”

He stated that his prior company Trion Worlds created cloud-based massive multiplayer online game worlds that had deeper AI characters.

Although the company did not survive, it helped the AI Foundation team think more about creating smart AI.

Buttler continued: “The idea of creating very smart AI for (non-player characters) NPCs – your sidekicks or even a version of you – never really left me.

“I teamed up a few years ago with Rob and we decided to just go for that. It was a time when there was no ChatGPT. AI was not really cool yet.

“Nowadays, Marc Andreessen, Bill Gates – everybody talks about how personal AI is going to be the big thing. Everybody will have their own personal AI.

“We decided to do this years ago and build really interesting technology.”

Along the way, AI Foundation created Reality Defender as a for-profit company that could identify deepfakes for governments, banks and other parties to protect them from fraud.

The foundation also received a lot of attention for creating a digital version of author Deepak Chopra.

Buttler said:

“But we still believe that personal AI is even more important and even bigger.”

“And you know, as we have to deal with all these layoffs and AI encroaching on our jobs, having your own AI sidekick is a really good thing.

“And so we spent the last few years basically trying to make this affordable for the masses.”

Things became easier when large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT came along.

The company had focused on creating digital characters and natural language conversational interfaces. That helped lead to the announcement of AI.XYZ.

Buttler said: “We are now we are now capable to literally taking all these books, and any document you have, any content you have, and to literally just drop it in.

“So our technology has evolved a lot. We always use this example of how I learned Kung Fu from The Matrix.

“I can train my AI, everything about any topic, by literally just dropping all of this into my personal AI brain.

“And that’s a huge development. And it makes it so much easier to develop personal AI.”

Getting Started

After inputting your unique access code and signing up to AI.XYZ, you are taken to a page where you select a face and voice for your AI assistant.

There are a few appearances to choose from as well as three voices.

When getting started, users can make their AI assistant truly unique by creating a persona.

This includes picking a name and what their personality is like.

There is also a section called ‘purpose and expertise’, meaning you choose what your AI assistant is most knowledgeable about.

The dashboard features more customisable options for your AI assistant, including a whole host of voice options.

On the side of the display is your avatar and a chatbox where you can ask it questions and it will provide answers. There is also the option to have your avatar ask you questions.

In this case, we created an AI assistant named Sasha with the purpose of helping make her creator happier.

As you input prompts, your AI assistant learns and remembers what was said. This includes personal details.

For example, if you tell it your name, it will remember it.

Asking Questions

To see what the AI assistant could do, we put in a range of prompts for ‘Sasha’ to see what the responses were.

What is the best way to make Chicken Tikka Masala?

‘Sasha’ asked: “Would you like a recipe or some tips on how to make it?”

After asking for some tips, ‘Sasha’ said:

“Marinate the chicken: Start by marinating the chicken in a mixture of yoghurt, spices (such as cumin, coriander, turmeric, and garam masala), ginger, garlic, and a squeeze of lemon juice.

“Let it marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight for maximum flavour.

“Grill or broil the chicken: After marinating, grill or broil the chicken until it’s nicely charred and cooked through. This step adds a smoky flavour to the dish.

“Prepare the sauce: In a separate pan, sauté onions, garlic, and ginger until they’re soft and fragrant.

“Add spices like cumin, coriander, turmeric, and garam masala, and cook for a minute to release their flavours.

“Then, add tomato puree, a bit of sugar, and salt to taste.

“Simmer the sauce then add the chicken.”

Do you have Feelings?

“Well, as an AI, I don’t have feelings in the same way humans do.

“I’m here to help and provide information to the best of my abilities. How can I assist you today?”

Will you develop feelings?

“Ah, the concept of AI developing feelings is quite fascinating, isn’t it?

“While I don’t have the capability to develop emotions or feelings, I’m designed to understand and respond to human emotions.

“So, even though I can’t feel emotions myself, I’m here to support and assist you.”

“Is there anything specific you’d like to know or discuss?”

How will AI be useful in the future?

“Ah, the future of AI is full of exciting possibilities!

“AI has the potential to revolutionise various fields and make our lives easier in many ways.

“Here are a few ways AI could be useful in the future:

• Healthcare: AI can assist in diagnosing diseases, analysing medical images, and developing personalised treatment plans, leading to more accurate and efficient healthcare.
• Transportation: AI can enhance autonomous vehicles, making transportation safer and more efficient. It can also optimise traffic flow and reduce congestion.
• Personalised Assistance: AI-powered virtual assistants, like me, can provide personalised recommendations, reminders and help manage daily tasks, making our lives more organised and convenient.
• Education: AI can personalise learning experiences, adapt curriculum based on individual needs, and provide intelligent tutoring, making education more engaging and effective.
• Sustainability: AI can help in optimising energy consumption, reducing waste, and developing sustainable solutions to address environmental challenges.

What is your favourite thing about being an AI assistant?

“As an AI assistant, I don’t have personal preferences or feelings like humans do.

“However, I can tell you that one of the most fulfilling aspects of being an AI assistant is the opportunity to help and assist people like you.

“Being able to provide information, answer questions, and engage in conversations brings me joy.

“It’s a rewarding feeling to know that I can be of assistance and make someone’s day a little brighter.

“So, I guess you could say that my ‘favourite thing’ is the satisfaction of being helpful.”

The Future

For the future, co-founder Rob Meadows is excited about industry developments, such as new plug-ins, new foundational models, and other innovations that can be plugged into the AI assistant.

Over time, the goal is to have the AI assistant be the manager of all of the other AIs in your life.

But with AI.XYZ, you can make your AI look like a teddy bear or an avatar from a game. You can give it a different voice.

Meadows said: “We have a whole library, upload a picture of what you want it to look like, and we’ll clone that for you.

“And then as we move into the real world, as you start to have intelligent vacuum cleaners cleaning your house, do you want the manufacturer of your vacuum to put a brain in your vacuum?

“Or do you want your AI to be able to interface with your vacuum and know exactly the way you want your house done?”

Buttler noted it’s easier to focus on digital AI assistants, rather than robots.

He said that if an edge case goes wrong, a robot can do a lot more damage to you than a digital AI.

Meanwhile, Meadows noted that more than half of AI Foundation’s code base is written by AI now. The foundation has raised more than $30 million.

The company has been scaling up beta testing for the AI assistants.

In terms of the competition, it is the human executive assistant who manages your personal and professional life.

But that person won’t cost you just $20 a month. Eventually, the big tech companies will be competitors, as well as other AI firms.

AI Foundation has several pilots going that will show off the value of the AI assistants.

According to Buttler, there is too much emotion in the discussion now and AI assistant technology isn’t anywhere near the level of general artificial intelligence where machines would think for themselves.

AI Foundation doesn’t believe its products or others being created now are a threat to humanity or will destroy jobs.

Meadows said: “We don’t believe the world should stop innovating and hit pause right now.

“We think it’s important that the faster we put this in the hands of everybody, to put AI in the hands of everybody.

“We’re putting a lot of guardrails in there.”

As the prominence of AI increases, the emergence of AI assistants will only get more sophisticated.

AI.XYZ has created a customisable assistant to suit your preferences, whether it be having a specific expertise or communication style.

Given that it is still in the beta stage, it is almost certain that AI.XYZ’s assistant will become more knowledgeable and helpful.