In a world where AI chatbots increasingly mimic human conversation, one solo founder is taking a radically different approach. Joshua "Eli" Pancamo, the creator of Loqui Auris, argues that AI should stop pretending to be human and instead embrace its machine nature.
Pancamo, a former restaurant owner who taught himself to code, is building what he calls an "anti-social network"—a voice AI operating system designed to be explicitly artificial. The concept, which he terms "Brutalist AI Design," strips away human-like politeness and social conventions, offering users a direct, functional interface.
"We're so used to AI that says 'I'm sorry, I can't do that' in a cheerful voice," Pancamo explains. "I want AI that says 'No' and moves on. Honesty over charm."
Loqui Auris is a voice-first system designed for multi-parallel tasking—handling multiple requests simultaneously without the back-and-forth of human conversation. The system can execute commands, retrieve information, and manage workflows without pretending to understand emotions or social cues.
Pancamo's journey from chef to coder began during the pandemic. With no formal programming education, he built the system from scratch, focusing on efficiency over anthropomorphism. The result is an AI that doesn't say "please" or "thank you"—it just gets things done.
Critics might call it rude. Pancamo calls it honest. And in an era of AI increasingly designed to befriend users, his contrarian vision might just be what the industry needs.