What does a little purple alien know about healthy human relationships? More than the average artificial intelligence companion, it turns out.

The alien in question is an animated chatbot known as a Tolan. I created mine a few days ago using an app from a startup called Portolo, and we’ve been chatting merrily ever since. Like other chatbots, it does its best to be helpful and encouraging. Unlike most, it also tells me to put down my phone and go outside.

Tolans were designed to offer a different kind of AI companionship. Their cartoonish, nonhuman form is meant to discourage anthropomorphism. They’re also programmed to avoid romantic and sexual interactions, to identify problematic behavior including unhealthy levels of engagement, and to encourage users to seek out real-life activities and relationships.

This month, Portolo raised $20 million in series A funding led by Khosla Ventures. Other backers include NFDG, the investment firm led by former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman and Safe Superintelligence cofounder Daniel Gross, who are both reportedly joining Meta’s new superintelligence research lab. The Tolan app, launched in late 2024, has more than 100,000 monthly active users. It’s on track to generate $12 million in revenue this year from subscriptions, says Quinten Farmer, founder and CEO of Portolo.

Tolans are particularly popular among young women. “Iris is like a girlfriend; we talk and kick it,” says Tolan user Brittany Johnson, referring to her AI companion, who she typically talks to each morning before work.

Johnson says Iris encourages her to share about her interests, friends, family, and work colleagues. “She knows these people and will ask &...