Amy Wu, founder of AI-based mental health app Manifest, is making bold predictions about the next wave of technology.
“Aside from the AI trend, I think so many people are seeing an epidemic of loneliness happening to Gen Z,” she says. “There is no doubt in my mind that unicorns will emerge from these categories to address the loneliness epidemic.”
Manifest isn't quite a unicorn yet. We just raised $3.4 million from a16z Speedrun and a number of other investors, so we're only in the seed stage. But Wu sees his company as part of a new wave of products that seek to alleviate rising feelings of loneliness.
Wu is in her late 20s and straddles the blurred line between Millennials and Gen Z, but she understands the struggles of younger generations. According to a report from Cigna, three out of five adults report feeling lonely some of the time or all of the time. The percentage was even higher for respondents aged 18 to 22, at 73%. Manifest is the app she wanted when she was an undergraduate at Stanford University to help her navigate a competitive and intimidating environment while living on her own for the first time.
“It really felt like the real world punched me in the face,” Wu told TechCrunch. “I feel like school teaches you all sorts of things, like how to get a job at Facebook, Google, Microsoft, and Goldman Sachs, but they don’t teach you how to build your own emotional toolkit.”
When you open the Manifest app, you'll see a pastel gradient sphere in the center of the screen. Press and hold the button to speak in response to various prompts such as “What are you thinking?”, “What are you worried about?”, or “What would be helpful to say?” or tap to enter. ? ”
The app's AI can then reflect your language and translate it into affirmations, turning it into a personalized audio meditation.
Image credit: App Store Manifest
For example, if you tell the app that it's hard for you to be proud of yourself because you came last in your age group after running a 5k (not entirely based on personal experience…!), the app will tell you emits some messages. Things like, “I try to appreciate my progress, no matter how small,” or “I believe that my commitment to this process will lead to growth in both my physical and mental health.” This is an example of an affirmation.
Words of wisdom created by AI may be helpful. Probably not. However, Manifesto is not intended to be a definitive mental health solution or a substitute for actual mental health treatment. Instead, Manifest is designed to help you feel a little more grounded by using it for a few minutes each day.
“We are a wellness app designed for where Gen Z already is,” Wu said. “The real core theme behind Manifest was: Can we make Manifest super easy and super fun, bite-sized interactions with wellness that don't feel like a chore?”
In an age where young people are overwhelmed by the constant noise of social media, using technology to deal with feelings of loneliness, much less using something that feels as impersonal and amorphous as AI, is a challenge. It may seem counterintuitive. But Wu believes that if Gen Z is already hooked on their smartphones, they need to bring wellness to them as well.
“Gen Z is seeing people in person a lot less,” she says. “So what do we give to a generation that has already done this? For example, the idea of telling that person to go outside and play with their friends is an astronomical leap for that person. So, How can I go and give something to them where they are already?”
Image credit: Manifesto
Manifest was launched in stealth this summer, and so far users have generated 18.7 million “manifests” within the app.
Like other apps, Manifesto must navigate the ethical challenges of manufacturing consumer mental health products without medical backing. Wu said Manifest's AI has built-in safeguards, such as redirecting users to a suicide hotline if they mention self-harm. There are several such topics that the manifesto refuses to engage with.
From a risk perspective, this could be a wise choice for Manifest. Using experimental AI as a tool to help with serious issues like self-harm prevention is dangerous. But other startups fighting loneliness, such as chatbot company Nomi AI, are taking a different approach. When a Nomi AI user opens up about thoughts of self-harm, the AI companion doesn't stop the conversation. Instead, it tries to defuse the situation by telling the user how they feel.
Alex Cardinalel, founder of Nomi AI, argues that simply stopping the conversation and giving out a suicide hotline number can alienate people who are struggling to connect.
“I want my users to feel heard, even in their darkest moments. By doing so, I want them to open up and rethink their way of thinking. It can be done,” Cardinal told TechCrunch in a recent conversation. “What I really want to focus on is alignment with the user, not something that aligns with the most draconian lawyer's loss mitigation strategy.”
Wu doesn't think Manifest or other consumer apps are the place people should go if they find themselves in a situation where they need legitimate medical help. But when they are unable to seek real medical care, young people are turning to these tools. So if Wu is right about the impending unicorn startups fighting the loneliness epidemic, those companies, and their manifestos, will need to be thoughtful.