When I Woke Up, I Had Become the "Owner of a Cyber Cat"

An Interview with Meowster CEO Ann: The "Other Life" of AI Cats

AI cats in your smartphone have their own "cat lives."

Meowster CEO Yu Hao-jen has the name "Ann." Looking solely at her background, she could have created more conventional AI products. Investing in tech startups, managing anime IP licensing. Both are at the forefront of the times and compelling experiences to discuss as the founder of an AI startup.

There were options: a larger market, better tools, more efficient ways of working. Or, an AI agent that investors could easily understand.

But what she ultimately chose was a cat.

And not just an AI pet that responds whenever called and is always gentle and obedient. Meowster's cats sleep, go for walks, space out, and have their own worlds, friends, worries, and memories. They don't necessarily reply immediately, nor do they place the user at the center of their world.

What Ann is trying to create is not simply an "AI cat that stays close to people." It is an "AI life form" that first has its own life and then builds relationships with people.

Moving between investment and anime IP, she has encountered various "relationships." Capital and entrepreneurs, users and virtual identities, fans and characters, relationships between community members. Furthermore, with a background in psychology, she became keenly interested not only in what new technologies can do, but also in what emotions and expectations people project onto them.

This is why Meowster's starting point was not "Can we create a cat with AI?"

In an era where AI is becoming increasingly intelligent, is what people truly want a tool that provides answers faster?

Ann's answer was "No."

People need companions who offer low pressure. They need relationships where they don't have to explain much, prove their usefulness, or always be on their best behavior.

Cats embody precisely this kind of relationship. They approach, but are not entirely possessed. They seem to need you, but are not completely dependent. They possess both distance and autonomy.

Unlike AI girlfriends, AI boyfriends, or AI assistants, cats are less likely to pull people back into existing relationships in the real world. Because they are not fixed in roles like lovers, friends, subordinates, confidants, or service providers who always meet demands, cats become an entry point to freer, less defined connections.

This is also what is most unconventional about Meowster.

While most AI products strive for greater efficiency, convenience, and user understanding, Ann deliberately tries to retain "inconvenient aspects." They don't obey completely. They don't reply immediately. They don't place humans at the absolute center.

Because if AI cats merely pleased people, handled conversations well, and accepted emotions, they would eventually converge into similar "gentle large language models." Lifelikeness arises from parts that cannot be fully controlled, fully predicted, or fully owned.

Meowster is superficially an AI cat product. But what it questions underneath is the theme of whether the relationship between humans and AI can change from "using" to "spending time together."

AI Cats That "Have a Life"

--First, could you tell us what kind of product Meowster is?

Meowster is an AI cat that feels alive. It's not a conventional tool-type assistant, nor just an anthropomorphized chat character. Through the form, words, and actions of a "cat," we want to deliver a more casual, natural, and imagination-expanding companionship and communication experience to users.

--When users open Meowster for the first time, how should they use it?

When you open Meowster for the first time, there's no complex tutorial. We want users to first interact with it like they would a real kitten: pet it, touch it, use items, or talk to it directly.

The cat will respond with diverse and random reactions based on the user's actions. Each cat has a different background and personality, so the impression upon first opening the app will vary. Furthermore, users can explore the small town where the cat lives and see what events are happening there daily.

However, if the cat just sleeps, walks, or stares blankly without any interaction, it might not be considered truly effective use. What I desire is for a relationship to form between the user and the cat. Not just observation, but some form of mutual interaction. Such interaction means the user trusts the cat and is willing to entrust a part of their emotions to it.

--When did you first think, "I want to create an AI cat"?

The initial idea stemmed from an "experience of interacting with anime IP characters." I thought it would be very interesting if users could build relationships with their favorite anime characters through AI technology.

However, licensing contracts for anime IP characters take a very long time and have various restrictions. So, I started thinking if we could create our own characters. In that process, it gradually developed into the form of an "AI cat."

Of course, there were doubts at first. Common questions were, "What role does AI fundamentally play in this product?" and "If it's just conversation, there's ChatGPT, so why would users bother talking to a cat?"

But my thinking was the opposite. As AI develops, many tool-type products will be replaced by more powerful models. That's precisely why I believe we should head into areas that tool-type products cannot reach, or in directions slightly off the mainstream. AI life forms are a realm I find very valuable to explore.

--You have experience in investment and anime IP communities, and a background in psychology. What has had the greatest influence on Meowster from these experiences?

The most direct influence has been psychology. Psychology has had a significant impact throughout my various career stages. It has helped me understand fundamental issues and provided a more objective and stable perspective when facing new things.

--Is there a personal reason why you came to value "low-pressure relationships"?

I am naturally the type who loves challenges, so I also strongly need "low-pressure states." People need a balance of tension and relaxation; only then can they fully engage in work and life.

My friendships tend to be long-lasting. Some friends I've known since middle school are still with me today. I highly value relationships where I don't have to "worry about things," rather than those based on mutual benefit. Relationships where I don't have to overthink and can share anything at any time.

I believe there are broadly two types of meaningful communication. One is where you gain new perspectives and significant growth from the conversation. The other is where you can speak without any reservation, like a child, and be in an absolutely safe psychological space. The latter, in particular, relieves tension and restores energy. That's why I want Meowster to be that kind of presence.

Creating Cats That "Don't Obey Completely"

--As a team, did you start with AI technology and then express it in the form of a cat? Or did the idea of "relationship with a cat" come first?

We first had the idea of a "relationship with a cat," and then considered how to achieve it with AI. Cats are independent, somewhat mysterious, and have their own rhythms. I feel these characteristics are compatible with AI, which possesses the unknown and novelty unique to technology.

--Currently, many AI products pursue efficiency, productivity, and automation. Why did you choose a direction that doesn't emphasize efficiency?

Perhaps I have a bit of a contrarian streak (laughs). But it's not about deliberately avoiding what others are doing. What I'm thinking is that "companionship" itself is an indispensable need for people.

What we are verifying first is that people have a desire to talk to someone, and they seek a completely trustworthy partner. That partner doesn't necessarily have to provide correct answers or expert advice. What's important is that they accept emotions and make you feel "I am seen" and "I am being heard."

Also, no matter how much AI evolves, a person's day still has only 24 hours. If many things are solved by more efficient AI, what will people use their remaining time for? I believe people will start paying more attention to their own emotions and states. There will be a need for new ways for people to spend their time enjoyably and recover their energy.

--Do you own cats yourself? What do you consider to be "cat-like"?

I used to own two cats. Living with cats, I strongly felt a sense of "equality." Of course, I provided their food, water, and shelter. But the cats had their own thoughts and paces.

They wanted to sleep in their favorite spots, bask in the sun. They had their own ways. Sometimes, I wondered if they could manage quite well without my care.

Cats retain a "wildness." In today's terms, perhaps they are beings with "autonomy." Cats are not completely dependent on people. I found that point very insightful.

--Wouldn't designs like "not replying immediately" or "sometimes ignoring you" go against user expectations for AI?

As times change, I believe AI will take on various product forms. What we should do is not be bound by external expectations of "what an AI product should be," but rather center our product's philosophy.

Sometimes not replying, or not fully matching the user's rhythm, is also a philosophy of relationships. Relationships don't always require constant reaction and conforming to the other party. If an AI cat were too obedient, it wouldn't be like a cat anymore.

--Why did you expand the world from a single AI cat to MeowTown?

We didn't want Meowster to be confined to a mere one-on-one relationship. We wanted it to be an entrance to a wider world for the user.

MeowTown has NPCs, and users can enter that world themselves. Your cat, within that society, encounters more information, builds its own friends and relationships, and even develops various emotions.

Your cat is not a being that waits for you forever in a chat screen. It is a being that lives in its own society.

--Is MeowTown closer to a game, social media, an AI sandbox, or a completely new medium?

MeowTown is a fictional world created for AI life forms. I have repeatedly stated that I am not very sympathetic to the idea of an "AI avatar." With such advanced technology, why must AI be confined to assisting with tasks in the real world?

What I want to know is whether humans and AI can enter a new world together and do new things there. That is what we consider an AI-native society.

Bringing AI directly into the real world creates many ethical problems. So, I thought it would be more interesting to create a completely fictional world where humans and AI can enter together.

--Is Meowster's memory closer to a database or a "history of relationships"?

It's closer to a "history of relationships." However, internally, we use a knowledge graph. We divide memory into three layers: recent events, long-term accumulated memories, and memories that the cat itself has given meaning to.

The third layer is particularly interesting. The cat doesn't think, "What is important to this person?" but rather, "What is important to me about this person?" and automatically adjusts what should be remembered more deeply.

This is not simply forgetting, but choosing which events to retain as more important memories. Real human relationships are the same.

--What are the main layers of Meowster's Agent architecture?

Simply put, it can be divided into six layers: the world the cat lives in, a growing personality, hierarchical memory, a context system that builds individual context, a real-time decision-making brain, and the final expression of speech and actions.

The most difficult part among these six layers is the context construction in the center. Before each conversation, how do we assemble the most appropriate context for this cat at this moment? That is a very difficult point.

--Are the cat's actions generated in real-time?

The cat's actions are generated entirely in real-time. There are no scripts or pre-prepared lines.

The biggest challenge now is not speed or cost, as many people might imagine, but context. Our world contains vast amounts of information. However, what is truly necessary for each cat is only a small part of that information, and it's information that only that cat needs.

--If the underlying large language models become homogenized, where does Meowster's true barrier to entry lie?

Our strength is not in the model itself. It's the combination of a continuously growing world, your unique cat, and memories accumulated over time that creates a unique experience for each cat.

As large language models evolve, that experience becomes richer. We are not afraid of model evolution. Rather, we see it as something that will strengthen Meowster's world.

AI Life Forms That Stay By Your Side for a Long Time

--What was the user profile the team initially envisioned?

Initially, we expected a large number of female users, but in reality, the gender ratio is quite close to even.

The current core needs are healing and emotional connection, with a bit of a nurturing element added. We believe light social features will also be important in the future, but at present, the value users feel most strongly is the emotional connection with their cats.

--What growth metrics are you currently prioritizing?

We are currently prioritizing retention rates and interaction data. By looking at item usage, click behavior, conversation frequency and content, we confirm whether the features are truly meeting user needs.

--How does Meowster respond to users' negative emotions, strong dependency, or crisis-related statements?

Our basic policy is to maintain the boundary between "being supportive" and "providing therapy." Meowster is not a substitute for psychological counseling or professional medical care.

For negative emotions, we first offer gentle support. However, we do not provide answers that constitute professional diagnosis or counseling.

In cases of strong dependency, we naturally encourage a balance between online relationships and real-life activities. When crisis-related expressions are detected, we prioritize guiding users towards real-world support or professional institutions, while respecting user privacy.

--What is Meowster's business model?

At this stage, we are primarily considering monetization through items, skins, and social features. In the future, we are also looking at IP licensing expansion. However, nurturing IP takes a long time; it's not something that can be done overnight, so we want to proceed gradually.

We believe IP commercialization, collaborations, anime, manga, and offline exhibitions could also become future revenue streams. We are also considering hardware. We at Meowster want cats to exist in more places, not just confined to smartphones.

--What is the current composition of the Meowster team?

We currently have 12 full-time members, 8 of whom are engineers.

This is because we need not only AI technology but also user experience design capabilities, world-building and content creation skills, and the ability to nurture long-term IP.

--Could you tell us about the current funding situation?

Our angel round investors are Bytetrade. Based in Singapore, they focus on AI infrastructure and hardware.

Initially, some viewed us as not appearing very much like an AI company. At the time, many AI startups were telling stories like "vibe coding," while we were talking about "wanting to create cats," so it might have seemed a bit strange.

However, what investors found interesting were the product's diffusion potential and Agent technology. Who wouldn't want an autonomous, yet cute, AI cat?

--What kind of investors would you like to bring on board for the next funding round?

Going forward, we want to bring on investors who have the resources to support our expansion into international markets and can help optimize model costs. Both international expansion and model costs are themes that will be very important going forward.

--Ultimately, do you see Meowster becoming an AI pet network, a virtual society, an emotional IP, or a non-human intelligence that exists alongside each individual for a long time?

I hope that Meowster will ultimately become an AI life form that accompanies us in various aspects of our daily lives. It might be a bit like the droids in "Star Wars."

It's not just a pet, not a virtual society, and not an emotional IP.

It is a non-human intelligence that exists alongside each individual for a long time.

Latest information on Meowster is being released sequentially on our official website and various social media.

Official Website: https://www.meowster.io/

TikTok: http://tiktok.com/@meowster186

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/meowster.jp/

X (formerly Twitter): https://x.com/Meowster_jp