durex
in 2016 we pitched reckitt benckiser a brave new way to communicate with a younger audience about all things sex…
Introducing Sexual Intelligence. Introducing Si
A sex robot*
When first considering the herculean task of creating the personality for an AI that needed to be both engaging and informative, I was adamant that approachability was key.
An approach that ultimately became known as ‘Conversational UX’.
that came
After all, it was of limited benefit to the Durex brand if you created a super-advanced chatbot with the sexual knowledge of a small planet…that nobody wanted to interact with it.
Si needed a personality. A reason to chat beyond simple curiosity.
from the future
So, whilst Si could answer 300+ questions about sexual health and relationships, a large proportion of the 90,000+ words I wrote were conversational. Si would actively engage in ‘banter’ or shut down trolling swiftly… making for a unique AI experience, designed to encourage repeat conversations with a trusted virtual friend.
*Si didn’t identify as a robot. More non-human-super-connected-transcendental-digital-concierge
