Video chat with a ChatGPT-powered digital avatar with this free iPhone app

As entertaining, informative, and occasionally frightening as a conversation with an AI chatbot can be, it’s still just text on a screen. But what if you could actually speak to a virtual assistant, powered by the same large language models, that could talk back? That’s precisely what Call Annie, the ChatGPT-powered “AI friend” app, can do.

Call Annie app turns ChatGPT into an AI friend

The virtual AI assistant is available on the web and via phone call at 640-225-5726, but if you want the full experience, you will have to download the iOS app.

Call Annie is free to download on the App Store and features a virtual female avatar whose face was generated using Midjourney. When you tap the “Call Annie” button in the app, Annie will initiate a conversation with you by asking you a question. You can answer Annie to have a casual chat or ask Annie something specific. Annie will continue to answer your questions and respond to your requests for as long as you want to converse.

In the description of the app, the developers explain that Annie is capable of serving as a tutor to teach you something, helping you solve a problem or practice for an interview, giving you a schedule for an upcoming trip, or just listening to you vent about your day.

You probably won’t mistake Annie for a real person, but the speed with which the AI is able to respond combined with the relatively realistic facial motions of the avatar as it both listens and speaks give Annie a surprisingly human presence.

The App Store listing notes that Call Annie is powered by Apple’s Neural Engine, which means the AI video call mode only works on iPhone 12 and later models. If you have an older iPhone, you can still perform audio calls, but video calls won’t work.