Updated
The virtual pet era
In the late 1990s, pocket-sized virtual pets became a global phenomenon. They were extremely simple, yet millions of people felt responsible for them — because they lived on in time.
Characters with scripts
Games and chat programs added characters that could talk, but their words were scripted. They felt alive for a moment and then repeated themselves.
Language models
Modern language models made open conversation possible, but on their own they have no stable identity or memory. Every chat is a new stranger.
Digital people
Digital people combine open conversation with what the virtual pet had all along: continuity. A stable identity, a life that goes on, and a memory of you. The pet grew up.