About Mollei
An open source research community building AI that understands human emotion
The Project
Mollei started with a simple observation: most AI systems that interact with humans have no understanding of how those humans feel. They process words, not emotions. They optimize for efficiency, not empathy.
We're building what it takes to change this. Research-driven from the start — investigating approaches, testing ideas, and developing AI that genuinely understands human emotion.
A long-term exploration. Emotional intelligence in AI isn't a feature you bolt on — it's a fundamental shift in how systems are designed. Understanding it deeply comes before claiming to have solved it.
Read our philosophy to understand what we believe and how we build.
Why This Matters
Therapy is one hour a week. Life is 168. The gap between sessions is where insights fade, patterns repeat, and progress stalls.
Friends are wonderful — but they have their own lives. They're asleep at 2am. They get tired of the same worry. They give advice when you need to be heard.
Mollei exists for the in-between moments. Not to replace human connection, but to extend it — a bridge when the bridge isn't available.
Privacy is architecture, not a setting.
Your emotional conversations are yours alone. No sharing features, no social profiles, no data sold to advertisers.
Governance
How we make decisions together
Community-Governed
Major decisions are made through open discussion and consensus-building, with input from active contributors.
RFC Process
Anyone can propose ideas. Discussion happens in the open. Decisions are documented with reasoning.
Maintainers Serve
Core maintainers serve the community — not the other way around. This project belongs to everyone who builds it.
Contributors
A growing community of developers, researchers, designers, and ethicists who believe in emotionally intelligent AI.
All forms of contribution matter — code, documentation, design, community support, and thoughtful criticism. Everyone who helps shape this project is part of what makes it possible.
Want to see your name here? Learn how to contribute.