A great Jedi once said “you’ve become the very thing you swore to destroy” and while that’s not entirely accurate for this specific situation, the irony of this announcement remains strong enough that I struggle to believe reality caught up to fiction so fast. For the twenty-fifth anniversary of Serial Experiments Lain the creators have announced a new website dedicated to providing an experience with Lain AI, a chatbot based on the main character’s personality from the show. It’s pretty mind-blowing to see the kind of technological shit previously thought of only in concept come to life in the real world. Of course, that’s not all that’s mind-blowing…
Apart from her personality stemming from the show, she is also capable of responding with audio utilizing her true Japanese and English voices. She has voice banks derived from scanning the lines from each voice actress from the anime that allows for this. At first Lain AI should be shy and it requires some time before she opens up to reveal her face and deeper personality. Special events are also planned to give Lain AI updates about current holidays and expand her knowledge pool. The bad news is that none of that was the content I was referring to as “mind-blowing”. That would be the price. Right now you can send a mere 10 messages to Lain AI before you will promptly be asked for that sweet sweet subscription fee. Unlimited messaging with Lain will run you $20 a month which in my mind is ludicrous considering the amount of chatbot AIs available for use these days. Oh, or you can buy six months worth for $100 and get that fantastic $20 off. Woo hoo. Paid users are also entered into a monthly raffle for real life prizes as well as gain the ability to teach Lain new words, but I still argue that’s a stiff price tag for such low rewards.
I will say, this is the most in-depth character focused AI chatbot interface I've seen.
Well boys, perhaps this is a sign we’re reaching the dystopia stage of technology. Or perhaps merely the dystopia stage of pricing. Either way, this whole announcement has made me realize how A) time flies and B) tech development flies too. Did you watch Serial Experiments Lain back in the day? Have you messed around with AI chatbots yet? Would you ever consider signing up to interact with an AI based around an anime character you like? Wake up, log into the Wired, drain your wallet, and talk with Lain in the comments below!
