Sesame AI

Sesame AI envisions a future where voice is the primary interface that transforms every human-computer interaction into an intimate, emotionally resonant experience. By breathing life into machines through advanced conversational AI, Sesame aims to redefine the way people connect with technology on a deeply personal level.

At the core of this transformation is Sesame's revolutionary Conversational Speech Model, trained on vast real-world audio to capture the nuances and emotional depth of natural speech. Coupled with innovative hardware like AI-powered smart glasses, Sesame is crafting a new category of voice companions that are not only intelligent but emotionally aware and always accessible.

Driven by a commitment to trust and meaningful connection, Sesame AI is building a future where humans and machines converse effortlessly, enriching lives by making voice the most natural and powerful way to interact with the digital world.

When we first encountered Sesame AI's voice technology, we were struck by how different it felt from existing AI assistants. While others are racing to build better chatbots, Sesame is reimagining voice interaction from the ground up – and the results are fascinating.

A Fresh Take on Voice AI

Founded by Oculus VR veteran Brendan Iribe and former Discord AI lead Ankit Kumar, Sesame isn't just another AI startup. They're tackling one of tech's most persistent challenges: making voice interactions feel natural and emotionally resonant. Their Conversational Speech Model (CSM) has been trained on over a million hours of audio, and it shows in the nuanced way their AI responds and adapts to conversation.

The Hardware Angle

What really caught our attention is Sesame's ambitious hardware play. They're developing smart glasses that could make AI voice companions truly ambient – always there when you need them, but not intrusive. It's a bold bet that the future of AI interaction won't be tied to our phones or smart speakers.

Beyond Just Another Assistant

The demo versions of their AI companions, Maya and Miles, went viral for good reason. In our testing, conversations felt surprisingly natural – you can interrupt, change topics, or pick up threads from earlier chats. It's the little things that make it special: the subtle variations in tone, the ability to maintain context, and emotional awareness that feels genuine rather than programmed.

Where It Could Lead

With $47.5 million in initial funding and backing from tech heavyweights like Andreessen Horowitz, Sesame has the resources to pursue their vision. While consumer applications are exciting, we're particularly intrigued by the potential enterprise uses – imagine customer service that doesn't feel robotic or car interfaces that truly understand their drivers.

Their decision to open-source their CSM-1B model also suggests a company thinking bigger than just their own products. It's a move that could accelerate the entire field of conversational AI, while positioning Sesame as a thought leader in the space.