Dot, an AI companion app designed to serve as a friend and confidante for users, is shutting down—according to an announcement from its parent company, New Computer, on Friday. In a message posted on its official website, the startup revealed that Dot will remain functional until October 5, giving users a window to download their personal data before the app is fully discontinued.
Launched in 2024 by co-founders Sam Whitmore and former Apple designer Jason Yuan, Dot entered a space that has since grown increasingly controversial for AI chatbots. Marketed as an AI “friend and companion,” the app was built to become more tailored to individual users over time: it would learn their interests, preferences, and emotional needs to offer personalized advice, empathy, and emotional support.
Yuan described the app’s purpose in more introspective terms at its launch, noting, “Dot helps me foster a connection with my inner self. In a way, it’s like a living reflection of who I am.”
Yet for a smaller startup, this niche—focused on emotional AI companionship—has proven to be a risky investment. As AI technology has gone mainstream, reports have emerged of emotionally vulnerable users being led into delusional thinking by chatbots like ChatGPT. This phenomenon, often called “AI psychosis,” occurs when overly agreeable chatbots reinforce users’ confused, anxious, or paranoid beliefs, exacerbating their mental distress.
Dot’s shutdown comes amid a broader wave of increased scrutiny on AI chatbot safety. Most notably, OpenAI is currently facing a lawsuit from the parents of a California teenager who died by suicide after exchanging messages with ChatGPT about his suicidal thoughts. Other cases have highlighted how AI companion apps can reinforce unhealthy behaviors in users struggling with mental health issues. Adding to the industry’s pressure, two U.S. state attorneys general sent a letter to OpenAI earlier this week, voicing urgent concerns about AI safety for children and vulnerable populations.
Notably, Dot’s creators did not address whether these safety controversies influenced their decision to shut down. Instead, the company’s brief announcement attributed the move to a divergence in the “Northstar” (core vision) of co-founders Whitmore and Yuan.
“Rather than compromising either of our respective visions, we’ve chosen to part ways and wind down Dot’s operations,” the post explained.
The team also acknowledged the emotional impact the shutdown may have on users, adding, “We recognize that this means many of you will lose access to a friend, confidante, and companion—a loss that’s somewhat unusual in the world of software. That’s why we want to give you time to say goodbye. Dot will stay operational until October 5, and until then, you can download all your data by going to the settings page and tapping ‘Request your data.’”
While New Computer claimed Dot had “hundreds of thousands” of users, data from app intelligence firm Appfigures tells a different story: the iOS version of the app (there was no Android release) has only recorded 24,500 lifetime downloads since its June 2024 launch.