• Conversation platform blends AI into interactive group chat rooms
• Funding fuels expansion after early stealth development phase

Shapes, an app that allows users to interact with AI characters inside shared group conversations alongside real people, has emerged from its hidden development stage after raising an $8 million seed round.

Founded in 2022, the platform now counts more than 400,000 monthly active users. Its founders say the idea could help address what they describe as “AI psychosis,” a phenomenon linked to prolonged one-on-one engagement with chatbots that may, in some cases, lead to delusions or paranoia.

Unlike traditional AI assistants built around private, individual interactions, Shapes integrates AI directly into social group chats between users.

CEO Anushk Mittal said most human communication today already happens in group messaging spaces, arguing that bringing AI into these environments gives it broader context and makes it a more natural part of everyday interaction.

Inside the app, AI personas appear under the name “Shapes” and participate in conversations like any other user, while being clearly labeled as non-human but otherwise free to engage without restrictions.

Users can also create and customize their own AI characters, shaping their personalities and traits. More than three million such characters have already been generated, many tied to fandom communities and niche online cultures.

Upon signup, users select their interests so the app can recommend relevant group chats to join.

The founders say AI presence in group chats can solve the “cold start” problem in conversations, helping initiate discussions and keep them active, while also ensuring users always receive responses.

The company positions Shapes differently from tools such as ChatGPT, emphasizing social interaction and community building rather than productivity or planning.

According to the company, growth has largely been driven by word of mouth, with user numbers increasing sixfold since the start of the year. Some users reportedly spend between two and four hours daily on the platform.

The new funding will be used to accelerate product development and expand the user base, led by Lightspeed with participation from AI-focused investors and angel backers.