Soul App Founder Team’s Decade-Long Commitment to Social Networking: Understanding Gen Z Through Authentic Connection
Against the backdrop of rapidly advancing artificial intelligence technology, social products are undergoing a new wave of transformation. How to maintain authentic and stable connections between people amid technological evolution has become a core issue of sustained industry attention. Since its launch in 2016, Soul App has been rooted in Pudong, and under the leadership of its founder team, has designed products around the social needs of young demographics, gradually forging its own development path within a community atmosphere defined as “friendly, warm, authentic, and fun.”
In 2025, Shanghai Soulgate Technology Co., Ltd. (Soul) was named one of Pudong’s “Top Ten Leading Cultural and Creative Enterprises.” Taking this opportunity, Oriental Financial Pudong Channel host Jin Tianwei recently sat down with Soul CTO Tao Ming during the “Entering the Leading Zone: Exploring New Cultural Frontiers” interview series for a wide-ranging conversation covering technology applications, user experience, and industry trends, systematically examining AI’s impact on social scenarios.
During the interview, Tao Ming provided a detailed overview of AI’s specific applications within the Soul platform. In recent years, as AI technology has advanced, the Soul App founder team has continuously integrated AI capabilities into voice group chats, content interactions, and companionship features. For example, in voice group chat scenarios, the addition of AI hosts and AI characters has provided users with more ways to interact; AI-based podcast content has made information sharing and conversation more real-time. The core purpose of these features is not to replace human-to-human communication, but to provide assistance in specific contexts, making the interaction process smoother.
Regarding whether users accept the changes brought by AI, Tao Ming indicated that the platform has maintained a prudent approach when designing these features. Actual feedback shows that users are not only receptive to AI companionship and virtual characters but have, to a certain extent, become more actively engaged in social interaction through these tools. In this process, AI plays a role of “guiding” and “assisting,” enabling participation and fostering confidence among users who find self-expression challenging.This positive feedback generated by technology has also, to a certain degree, promoted authentic connections between people.
Regarding the reasons for sustained product growth, Tao Ming offered a multi-dimensional summary. First is the long-term observation and understanding of young users. Users of different generations differ in their modes of expression and social needs, and Soul has attempted to grasp changes among young demographics from a broader perspective through the continuous publication of trend research reports. Building on this foundation, the Soul App founder team has adopted “emotional value” as a key point of entry, satisfying users’ emotional needs through diversified modes of expression.
Second is the gradual evolution of AI technology within the platform. Since 2017, the Soul App founder team has been incorporating machine learning technology to optimize the efficiency of user connection, continuously refining these capabilities in subsequent development. After 2019, with the advancement of generative AI, the platform further explored its application in expression assistance, enabling users to receive greater support during communication. This process has not been about simply stacking features but rather about making adjustments around specific scenarios so that technology better aligns with actual needs.
Third is sustained attention to “authentic relationships.” Despite the continuous advancement of AI technology, Soul still regards human-to-human connection as its core objective. In practice, the platform promotes the establishment of long-term relationships between users through various formats. For example, under the community’s organically formed “Civil Affairs Bureau” tag, more than 100,000 couples have established real-world relationships — a phenomenon that to some extent reflects the capacity of online social networking to extend into real-life relationships.
In terms of expressive formats, the Soul App founder team has also pursued diversified exploration. Taking digital cultural and creative products as an example, the platform’s series of digital avatars provide users with means of expression beyond textual communication. Users can showcase their current state through personalized profile images, virtual props, and other formats — content that has gradually become a supplement to emotional communication during interactions. Compared to text-only communication, these formats offer greater intuitiveness in certain scenarios and can also help improve communication efficiency.
In the context of rapid AI development, social platforms need to find the right balance between technology and people. Through long-term observation of user needs, Soul has positioned AI as a tool for enhancing user experience. Throughout this process, the Soul App founder team has built a more stable social ecosystem with technology as its foundation and authentic connection as its core.
