Rili, a company headquartered in Belgium, has officially launched its AI-powered social media platform today. This innovative platform enables users to create digital twins. The soft launch of Rili is taking place in six countries: India, USA, Indonesia, Philippines, Brazil, and Mexico. During this alpha phase, the co-founders of Rili, Jorge Cuervo and Antonio Camacho, expressed their anticipation for receiving valuable feedback. Although the platform has already been tested with approximately 4,000 users, they believe that gathering more feedback will be crucial in refining the solution to cater to every market. In an exclusive interview with AIM, Cuervo and Camacho shared their insights.
India’s market
India’s market has shown significant growth. When discussing the soft launch in six countries, India was a crucial choice. Cuervo mentioned, “We found that in India, you are not just one market, but many markets within one country.”
“In India, there is a strong demand for artificial intelligence solutions, especially among the population beyond Gen-Z – those aged 16 to 25 and even older. The enthusiasm for disruptive solutions is remarkably high. This trend is also observed in other smaller markets like the Philippines,” he added.
The AI-powered app utilizes various technologies such as LLMs, voice cloning, and lip-sync. Cuervo stated, “We did not create our own LLM. Instead, we utilized the best existing implementations of LLMs in the market, which have evolved significantly over the past year.” Open source models have been integrated into Rili.
Rili ai, with its motto of ‘Search, Explore, and Bond’, aims to tackle various issues. It offers a digital assistant for those who feel lonely and serves as a platform where a person’s personality and knowledge can be transferred to their digital twin. Rili’s primary objective is to create a unique form of social media.
Cuervo stated, “When Facebook and other social networks emerged, our purpose was to interact with one another. However, with the rise of Instagram and TikTok, communication has become one-sided – we passively consume content.” He further added, “We believe that these tools should be utilized to facilitate genuine connections. We aspire to become the first social network that fosters meaningful relationships and allows individuals to establish true bonds with people worldwide.”
Rili undergoes training from users who share their expertise via chat, whether through text or voice messages, by utilizing a microphone. Moreover, the application can access digital user data from various platforms like X, Twitch, and YouTube, enhancing the personalization aspect.
By offering content in more than 100 languages, including Hindi, Rili aims to bridge the global gap and reach a wider audience. The incorporation of additional languages poses no challenge. Cuervo stated, “Integrating a new language is a simple task as the user interface can be easily modified, thanks to the inherent capability of the system; it’s not a problem at all.”
The founders are firm believers that language barriers should not limit knowledge acquisition. Camacho expressed, “Our primary objective is to enhance bi-directional communication. We aspire to revolutionize interpersonal interactions, encouraging people to engage with creators not just as consumers of content, but also to establish meaningful connections with them.”
Camacho and Cuervo, who have been dabbling in their entrepreneurial journey for over a decade, previously founded an AI company Hocelot, which was headquartered in Brussels. The company specialises in datasets and next-generation analytics in real-time to address specific business needs.
“We spend a lot of money investing in assets like flats, etc, but the most important asset we have in life is our brain,” said Camacho. “When we pass away, we can leave our legacy to our kids and family, with our thoughts and knowledge. That’s another way we are exploring to monetise in the future.”
Talking about the company’s nomenclature, the founders said, “We are Spanish, and ‘Rili’ is how a Spanish speaker will write ‘really’, and with artificial intelligence, it is ‘Rili AI’, which sounds like ‘Really I’ — is it really me?” said Camacho. “We like the brand name; it’s easy to remember and has a lot of connotations that we like.”
Rili is available in both iOS and Android platforms. The Rili alpha version is already live for users to join the waitlist.
Camacho and Cuervo, who have been engaged in their entrepreneurial journey for more than ten years, previously established an AI company called Hocelot, which had its headquarters in Brussels. The company specializes in real-time datasets and advanced analytics to cater to specific business requirements.
According to Camacho, “We allocate a significant amount of funds towards investments such as properties, but the most valuable asset we possess in life is our intellect. When we pass away, we can leave behind our legacy to our children and family through our thoughts and knowledge. This is another avenue we are exploring for future monetization.”
Regarding the company’s name, the founders explained, “We are of Spanish origin, and ‘Rili’ is how a Spanish speaker would write ‘really’. With the integration of artificial intelligence, it becomes ‘Rili AI’, which sounds like ‘Really I’ — is it truly me?” Camacho added, “We are fond of the brand name as it is easy to recall and carries numerous connotations that resonate with us.”
Rili is accessible on both iOS and Android platforms. The Rili alpha version is already live, allowing users to join the waitlist.
