AI is Not Just About Productivity. It's About Relationships.

But first, what exactly is a relationship?

At its core, a relationship is a system of expectations. Each party maintains a mental model of the other, predicting behaviors and shaping interactions accordingly. Relationships exist not just in interactions, but in the expectations guiding those interactions.

Today, human-AI relationships typically fall into two main expectations: the helpful assistant and the fictional character.

Assistants like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Cursor are remarkably effective at solving tasks. Their success is undeniable—ChatGPT alone now engages nearly 300 million daily active users. Yet, their relationships remain transactional. Not much emotional depth.

Fictional characters, represented by Character.ai, Talkie, and MidReal, captivate users with compelling narratives and emotional resonance. Over the past year, I've observed this appeal closely. Users initially embrace these fictional worlds with enthusiasm. Yet, as they sink deeper, prolonged immersion often leaves them feeling empty, disconnected from reality, and ultimately longing to escape. The very relationships meant to comfort them amplify their unresolved real-world issues.

There is a third way—the Doraemon relationship.

Doraemon wasn't merely fictional or simply useful; he was a helpful friend. His pocket of limitless gadgets was appealing precisely because it combined practical solutions with emotional warmth. He cared deeply and personally. He shaped my childhood understanding of what a companion could and should be.

A truly valuable AI relationship integrates practical help and genuine connection. It neither feels cold and transactional nor empty and escapist. It must improve your life in tangible, meaningful ways.

Today, we have the technology to make this vision real. Our capacity to rapidly create genuinely useful, practical AI experiences—far beyond mere demos—is unmatched. But technical capability alone is not the point. In the future, the competitive landscape won't be defined by raw intelligence. Instead, it will be about the quality and authenticity of the relationships AI can build with its users.

Macaron AI is neither another helpful assistant nor another fictional character. Macaron AI is your helpful friend—your Doraemon.

The future of AI isn't about productivity. It's about relationships. Macaron is leading that revolution.