A former physician and Harvard Medical School resident, Dr. Jenny Shao, has launched a new artificial intelligence companion called Robyn, aimed at providing empathetic, emotionally-aware support for users navigating daily life.

Shao said the idea for the platform emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic, when isolation and mental strain had profound neurological impacts on many individuals.

Robyn is designed as an emotionally intelligent digital partner and not as a replacement for therapists or mental health professionals. Shao emphasized that the platform is intended to occupy a supportive space between general AI chatbots and clinical care.

“As a physician, I have seen things go badly when technology attempts to replace doctors,” Shao said. “Robyn is not and will never be a clinical substitute. It is more like someone who knows you well — a supportive presence designed to help you reflect and grow.”

Robyn sets itself apart by drawing from Shao’s research in human memory, carried out under Nobel Prize-winning neuroscientist Dr. Eric Kandel. The app incorporates principles of emotional recall and behavioral understanding to tailor conversations uniquely to each user.

Currently available on iOS, Robyn begins with an onboarding process similar to many mental health or journaling apps. Users are asked about their personal goals, emotional responses, and preferred communication tone. Over time, as conversations deepen, the app analyzes behavioral patterns and provides insights into areas such as attachment styles, love languages, emotional tendencies, and personal growth markers.

During testing, Robyn also demonstrated the ability to guide users through structured routines — such as helping to build healthier morning habits — by engaging in reflective dialogue rather than offering automated advice.

To address safety concerns, the platform includes built-in crisis protocols. If a user expresses thoughts of self-harm, Robyn provides crisis hotline contacts and prompts the user to seek immediate medical assistance.

It also has defined limits and will decline requests outside its emotional support function, such as providing sports scores or performing unrelated tasks.

Robyn has raised $5.5 million in seed funding. The round was led by venture capital firm M13, with support from Google Maps co-founder Lars Rasmussen, early Canva investor Bill Tai, former Yahoo Chief Financial Officer Ken Goldman, and X.ai co-founder Christian Szegedy.

Rasmussen, who invested in the company, said Robyn addresses a growing emotional disconnect in modern society.

“People are surrounded by technology but feel less understood than ever,” he said. “Robyn helps individuals recognize their emotional patterns and reconnect with themselves and others.”

While the platform focuses on strengthening healthy human relationships, both Shao and her investors acknowledge that one of Robyn’s biggest long-term challenges will be preventing users from forming unhealthy emotional dependence on the AI.

Robyn has been in private testing for several months and is now available to users in the United States. The service operates on a subscription model at $19.99 per month or $199 annually.

Source: Techcrunch