Oculus Founders’ AI Startup Sesame Launches Human-Like Voice AI App on iOS
Artificial intelligence (AI) startup Sesame, founded by creators behind Oculus and former virtual reality executives, has officially launched a public preview of its conversational AI technology through a new iOS application.
Announced on Thursday, the release marks the company’s latest effort to move beyond the conventional chatbot format popularised by platforms like ChatGPT by creating more fluid, human-like interactions.
Unlike traditional AI assistants that typically pause before responding, Sesame is attempting to make conversations feel more natural, even when its system requires extra time to process information.
In its launch statement, the company acknowledged the challenge of balancing speed and accuracy, saying there is often “an inherent tension between replying quickly and taking the time to compose thoughtful responses”.
According to Sesame, the app addresses this problem through advanced search and retrieval systems that allow AI agents to access updated information while continuing conversations.
The company said the technology can run several parallel searches simultaneously, enabling agents to adjust responses mid-conversation as new information becomes available, similar to how people naturally recall additional details while speaking.
A Step Beyond Traditional Chatbots
The app introduces four conversational agents, Maya, Miles, Simone and Charlie, each designed with unique personalities, voices, perspectives and memory systems. Maya and Miles had previously appeared in Sesame’s research preview, which apparently attracted over one million users within weeks, according to information shared by investor Sequoia after the startup secured a $250 million Series B funding round.
Sesame said user feedback during its beta phase helped shape new features, including image-based search cards for visual explanations, note-taking functions, a texting mode for quieter interactions and “deep dive” capabilities for more detailed discussions.
The app also includes an incognito mode that allows private conversations without saving information to memory while still using previous context during chats.
However, Sesame has indicated plans to develop intelligent eyewear by 2027 and hinted that its AI agents could eventually take actions on behalf of users, moving beyond conversation into task execution.
Currently available in 39 countries, the iOS app is free to use for now, though some users may face a short waiting period during registration. Sesame has also confirmed that an Android version is expected in the future.
