Wabi 2.0: Eugenia Kuyda's AI messenger builds apps on demand

Wabi originally let anyone use prompts to build apps, positioning itself against other vibe-coding tools. The company is now pivoting as demand for AI agents takes off, according to its announcement this week. Founder Eugenia Kuyda, who previously founded the AI companion startup Replika, is repositioning the product as a messenger that still makes apps but in a different interaction model.

The new version is called Wabi 2.0, and it aims to compete more directly with AI agents that combine conversations and productivity tasks in a single interface. In a post on X, Kuyda explained why this shift makes sense for consumers: "The more you use a chat-only agent, the worse the experience gets. Your history and ongoing tasks end up buried in one endless scroll. People don't just want to type-type-type; They want to tap-tap-tap, scroll, and look. They love what agents can do, but they also like software." She added, "The most powerful agent will be the one that combines both."

The pivot reflects a broader question facing AI companies about how apps will work inside generalized chatbot interfaces. Wabi 2.0's success will likely hinge on whether invitees find the on-demand interfaces genuinely useful for everyday tasks like health tracking and family scheduling. The app is currently invite-only, with codes being distributed on X.