Inflection AI, the startup co-founded by Mustafa Suleyman of DeepMind and Reid Hoffman of LinkedIn, has unveiled its AI chatbot Pi as a dedicated app for Android users. The move is part of the company’s strategy to compete with established AI assistants like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and newcomers such as xAI’s Grok and Anthropic’s Claude.
The announcement also included a revamp of the app’s branding, incorporating subtle changes in colors, illustrations, and the Pi logo for a refreshed aesthetic. In a blog post, Inflection AI emphasized maintaining the sleek and clean design while adding a touch of flair to enhance user experience.
The Pi Android app, initially available in 35 countries, including the U.S., aims to replicate the iOS-specific version’s user experience. Users can pose questions on any topic, receiving instant responses, suggestions, or tips from the assistant. Notably, Pi supports voice interactions, allowing users to engage in natural, back-and-forth conversations. Inflection AI offers six Pi voice options, likening the experience to a phone call.
Launched in May, Pi initially operated on the Inflection-1 language model. However, an upcoming major upgrade to Inflection-2 promises enhanced capabilities, including improved factual knowledge, better stylistic control, and significantly improved reasoning.
Inflection AI envisions Pi as a unique offering in the AI assistant landscape, aiming to provide users with an “empathetic, useful, and safe” companion. The company positions Pi as a more personal and colloquial alternative to competitors like ChatGPT, Bing, and Bard.
Pi’s ultimate goal is to offer 24/7 emotional support and guidance across various situations, differentiating itself through a more personal and emotionally intelligent approach. Inflection AI envisions Pi as a companion available to users at any time, whether it be midnight, language practice sessions, or during contemplation of a career change.
Expanding its reach, Inflection AI has made Pi available on Android, tapping into the platform’s vast user base of over 3 billion global users. However, the challenge lies in competing with ChatGPT, which already has a user base of nearly 200 million across Android and iOS platforms. In October 2023 alone, ChatGPT recorded 1.7 billion cumulative visits, serving 193 million unique users.
Beyond ChatGPT, Pi faces competition from Google’s Bard, Anthropic’s Claude, and xAI’s Grok, the latter standing out with a distinctive, sarcastic personality and real-time X data integration, enhancing its reach and capabilities. The battle for supremacy in the AI assistant market is heating up, and Inflection AI is positioning Pi as a strong contender.
