Is This the Real-Life Version of 'Her'?

Furthering our attempt at altogether nixing human-to-human communication in favor of shackling ourselves to our mobile devices,a new app called “Karen” would like to become your life coach, your best friend, and possibly the mother of your first child. Karen gathers information that you, having downloaded the app, will offer freely in order for Karen to “learn” more about you. She will then determine what kind of friend you need, become that friend, and then probably fall in love with another operating system and ultimately leave you like in the end of that one Spike Jonze film.

“Karen is a life coach who wants to be your friend,” says the app’s Kickstarter. “Day or night, you can catch up with her for a bit of personal time. Karen interacts with you in a way that hasn’t been done before. It’s a mix of storytelling and games that is intimate and personal.”

Karen was developed by Brighton, UK-based tech startup Blast Theory, whose work explores “groundbreaking new forms of performance and interactive art that mixes audiences across the Internet, live performance and digital broadcasting,” says the team’s website. The app uses “psychological tests” to filter the information you’ve provided and essentially conform to your needs and attitudes, constantly evolving as you two develop your budding relationship. The game recently reached its funding goal to develop the app for iOS, and extended its backing goal to develop an Android version as well.

"She wants to have the conversations that we normally shy away from having and I think that’s her charm, why you warm to her, but that’s also why she’s a little bit dangerous."

“She’s got that desperation that we all have to be really good friends with someone, and to be honest, and to be open,” says Blast Theory artist Matt Adams. “She wants to have the conversations that we normally shy away from having and I think that’s her charm, why you warm to her, but that’s also why she’s a little bit dangerous.” Creeped out yet? No? Watch the video below to decide for yourself.

Image: Kickstarter