SimSimi

SimSimi, created in 2002 by Korean company ISMaker, is one of the oldest AI chatbots still in active operation. The platform's approach is uniquely crowd-sourced — users directly teach the AI new responses, building a massive database of 100M+ Talksets worldwide (9M+ in Korean alone) across 80+ languages, growing by 4-7 million interactions daily.

The experience is casual and unpredictable. SimSimi doesn't use sophisticated language models — instead, it draws from its crowd-sourced conversation database, which gives responses a distinctly human (and sometimes chaotic) quality. Avatar customization and a simple, playful interface keep the experience lighthearted. The platform has faced controversies and temporary bans in some countries due to inappropriate user-taught content.

SimSimi is free with optional premium features, available on web, iOS, and Android. While it can't compete with modern AI companions on features like voice, memory, or image generation, its 20+ year history and massive multilingual database give it a unique charm. Best for casual, multilingual fun and users who enjoy the unpredictability of crowd-sourced AI responses.