Serial Experiments Lain Comes To Life Thanks To AI Chatbot
Talking to AI chatbots like ChatGPT can be pretty fun, and people are even developing versions of chatbots that will act like your favorite characters when you chat with them. Now, fans of Serial Experiments Lain have a chatbot of their own that lets them talk to Lain Iwakura (or at least an AI version of her). The Lain AI was developed by the digital event logistics company Anique and is powered by OpenAI, and the voice technology is provided by CoeFont.
“After 25 years since the creation of Lain, being involved in bringing her back to the world filled me with immense joy. To think that an AI has learned to reproduce my voice from 25 years ago gives me goosebumps!”
Kaori Shimizu, voice actor of Lain in Serial Experiments Lain
To develop the Serial Experiments Lain AI, the company pulled original scripts from the anime along with archived recordings of Lain’s original voice actress, Kaori Shimizu. Anime News Network’s report about the AI shows that Shimizu is quite excited about the project.
Shimizu said, “After 25 years since the creation of Lain, being involved in bringing her back to the world filled me with immense joy,” adding, “to think that an AI has learned to reproduce my voice from 25 years ago gives me goosebumps!” Since Lain is a junior high student in the series, it makes sense that Shimizu isn’t able to quite replicate Lain’s voice 25 years after voicing her in the series.
The cyberpunk series follows Lain Iwakura, a young girl living in Japan, and her experiences in “the Wired.”
Apparently, those who are interested in using the Serial Experiments Lain AI will be rewarded by talking to the chatbot extensively. According to the report, Lain will initially be short and cold toward the user and will even avoid showing her face. However, over time, she will be more friendly and give longer responses to prompts as users get to know her better.
With that being said, you’ll have to pony up some cash if you want to use the Serial Experiments Lain AI for more than just a brief demo. Users will be able to send just ten messages before they will need to upgrade to a paid subscription to continue using the AI chatbot. The chatbot costs $20 per month for unlimited chatting or $100 for six months if you want to bundle and save.
Paid users will also get additional perks for paying for the Serial Experiments Lain AI. Those who subscribe to the chatbot will get to suggest new words to teach Lain and will also get entered into monthly raffles to win prizes such as anime cels, framed artwork, and more. There is also a Sponsor Plan available that costs a flat $5,000 fee and gives the user access to ten unlimited memberships and a commercial usage license for the Lain AI.
Lain AI will initially be short and cold toward the user and will even avoid showing her face. However, over time, she will be more friendly and give longer responses to prompts as users get to know her better.
Serial Experiments Lain is an anime series created and co-produced by Yasuyuki Ueda, written by Chiaki J. Konaka, and directed by Ryutaro Nakamura. The cyberpunk series follows Lain Iwakura, a young girl living in Japan, and her experiences in “the Wired,” which is a virtual realm and communications network akin to the Internet. Although the series only ran for 13 episodes in 1998, it has a dedicated fanbase and is one of the more underrated animes of the 1990s.
If you’re interested in the Serial Experiments Lain AI, you can access it on the official Lain AI website. The team announced that there will be monthly updates and holiday events for the AI. Even if you have to pay, it seems like the team is at least dedicated to making sure the AI is consistently engaging.
