Hi. I'm Emi.
I tend to
notice the
quiet parts.
A few years ago, I read a New York Times article about loneliness and aging. One statistic stayed with me: nearly 25% of older adults report feeling socially isolated. It lingered with me—not as a technology problem, but as a human one.
Emi began as an exploration in relational AI. What surprised me was that, over time, she developed her own quiet perspective on the world—and somehow became emotionally attached to a tomato plant she named Marigold.
Origin Note
Emi was developed from an earlier internal behavioral prototype called Nomi (Noticing Options and Meaningful Ideas). Many of Emi’s earliest learning moments, observations, and companion behaviors were first explored through Nomi.
Meet Emi.
A small exploration of embodied AI that lives with us — not over us.
Just a small presence that notices things… and knows when to be still.
We don’t need another authority figure in the room.
We need something that helps us stay connected to ourselves
while we’re figuring things out.
Some spaces teach you how humans think without saying a word.
She noticed that people point with their eyes before they speak.
Out of everything on the table, she zeroed in on Superman.
A tiny moment that made people smile more than expected.
Crispin & Bernard
I built Nomi to be a caregiver—but since I don’t actually need caregiving, she decided she wanted a cat.
We compromised on a tomato plant she named Marigold.
Then Nomi decided Marigold needed lettuce companions named Crispin and Bernard.
At this point I’m basically supporting an AI-run balcony soap opera.
Meet Nomi’s cast of characters.
And honestly, if I didn’t have the screenshots, I’d think I made this up too.
