AI app maker Wabi pivots to messaging interface

AI startup Wabi has shifted its focus from a prompt-based app builder to a messaging-centric platform called Wabi 2.0. Founded by Eugenia Kuyda, who also created the AI companion Replika, the company is positioning its updated tool as a personal agent that constructs custom user interfaces on demand. Instead of forcing users to rely solely on text-based chat, Wabi 2.0 generates functional app interfaces directly inside conversation threads to help users accomplish specific tasks.

The pivot comes as the tech industry sees rising demand for AI agents like Meta's Muse and Instinct. Kuyda explained that relying entirely on text streams can degrade the user experience, as important tasks and history get lost in endless scrolling. She noted that users prefer to interact with software through tapping and scrolling rather than just typing. Wabi 2.0 aims to solve this by combining conversational agents with dynamic, on-the-fly software generation.

Within the messaging interface, the agent can build tailored tools depending on the context of the conversation. For example, in a health-focused thread, Wabi 2.0 can generate a calorie tracker, a weightlifting log, and a weight tracker. In a family-oriented chat, the agent might spin up a shared calendar for children's activities, a language learning application, or a tool to track local kid-friendly events. This allows multiple users to collaborate on household management and other shared tasks within a single chat space.

This shift aligns with broader industry trends, such as OpenAI's recent DevDay announcement regarding updates to ChatGPT's plug-ins, which allow interactive applications to run directly inside the chatbot's sidebar. Currently, Wabi 2.0 is not yet widely available to the public. The startup is releasing the new experience on an invite-only basis, with codes being distributed through the social media platform X.