Last Updated: February 2026
Chai
VerifiedChai is a social AI chat platform where users can chat with thousands of community-created AI characters or create their own. Emphasizing fun and open-ended conversation, Chai offers an immersive experience with chatbots ranging from flirty companions to fictional characters.
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Compare Chai
About Chai
Chai is an AI chat app that could be described as an AI messaging service. Instead of connecting you with human friends, it connects you with AI bots. The platform was founded by Chai Research and actually went live before ChatGPT became public. In fact, Chai claims it was the first to launch a consumer-facing AI chat platform where users could create their own chat AIs.
Features and Experience
Upon opening the app, you're presented with a directory of AI characters to chat with. These range from conversational partners (like "romantic partner", "best friend", etc.) to fan-made bots (impersonating celebrities or fictional characters). You can swipe through featured bots or search by categories/tags. Conversations are typically unfiltered and can sometimes get quite creative or unhinged (Chai has less strict moderation, though it does have some basic content rules). The bots' personalities are defined by descriptions and example dialogues provided by their creators.
Creating Your Own Bot
One of Chai's main attractions is the ability to create an AI character easily. You can set a profile (name, avatar, a few personality sentences) and write a greeting message. Optionally, you can add dialog examples to shape how it talks. Then you publish it for others to chat with. Some user-created bots on Chai have thousands of interactions. The platform runs on a mix of in-house AI models (they started with GPT-J and have since developed their own LLMs optimized for chat). There's a bit of a competitive vibe – popular bots climb the leaderboard, incentivizing users to refine them.
Use Cases
Chai is used mostly for entertainment and companionship. Many treat it like an AI friend network. You can find a bot to vent about your day, or perhaps flirt with a virtual crush. Since quality can vary (some bots are very coherent, others less so), users often share recommendations of which bots provide the best experience. The app does allow NSFW content to some extent (18+ mode for adult-oriented bots), which is a differentiator from more strictly filtered platforms.
Summary
In summary, Chai is like an AI chat hub. It's free to use with some limitations (there are premium subscriptions for unlimited chatting). If you're curious to try a bunch of different AI personalities or want to publish your own chatbot for the world, Chai provides an easy-to-use and engaging environment.
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