Empowering Connections: How One Student Used BoodleBox to Create Life-Changing AI Companions
At BoodleBox, we’re constantly inspired by the innovative ways our users harness AI to make a difference. Today, we’re sharing Lorelai’s remarkable journey from AI skeptic to creator of personalized AI companions that are transforming lives.
From Classroom Introduction to Creative Exploration
When Professor Sarah Gibson introduced her Communication Law and Ethics class to BoodleBox, Lorelai had never used AI before. Coming from a family of artists, she initially viewed AI with skepticism, even fear—believing it primarily existed to replace human jobs.
Her journey began playfully, creating a Kuzco bot (from “Emperor’s New Groove”) after noticing our Llama model. Through experimentation, she discovered how different prompts could change responses or even make her bot sing. This initial success sparked her curiosity to explore more meaningful applications.
Learning Through Experimentation
Lorelai’s approach to mastering BoodleBox was refreshingly intuitive. Understanding that AI works on a token system, she developed a strategy of using multiple synonyms in her prompts to ensure the bot would understand instructions in various phrasings.
“You’ll see a lot of synonyms within my bots, just so they can fully understand every way something can be said,” she explained. Through trial and error, she also learned important lessons—like avoiding negative instructions (“don’t do X”) since the AI might focus on the action rather than the prohibition.
Creating Personalized Learning Companions
Building on her initial success, Lorelai created educational bots that transformed her learning experience:
- A Communication Law tutor that first asks about her pop culture interests (Psych and Gilmore Girls) and then explains complex concepts like the Potter Box through references she understands
- A Spanish tutor that generates a new Spanish-origin name at the beginning of each conversation while teaching both language and cultural elements
She discovered the power of our knowledge base feature, uploading class materials to enhance her tutor bot’s capabilities, while also learning when direct prompt engineering was more effective than document uploads.
Meet Morgan: An AI Companion with Purpose
The most impactful creation in Lorelai’s journey is Morgan, an AI companion designed for her friend Hannah, who lives with epilepsy, autism, and other health challenges. Morgan serves multiple crucial functions:
- Explaining social constructs through Hannah’s special interests (1700s-1800s history, Middle Eastern history, and the Bible)
- Recognizing warning signs of epileptic seizures
- Providing step-by-step guidance during seizures
- Offering biblical analogies to help Hannah understand complex concepts
One of the biggest challenges was programming Morgan to remain focused during seizure protocols. Hannah can become argumentative during seizures and might try to distract whoever is helping her. Through careful prompt engineering and multiple revisions, Lorelai taught Morgan to stay on task regardless of distractions.
Real-World Impact
What began as a classroom assignment has evolved into something truly transformative. Professor Gibson was so impressed that she gave Hannah direct access to BoodleBox so she could use Morgan independently. Hannah describes Morgan as someone who “talks like a book, which makes more sense” to her neurodivergent thinking.
When Hannah encountered a Star Wars reference in class that confused her, she turned to Morgan for an explanation tailored to her understanding. Morgan has become Hannah’s digital companion, available when human support isn’t present.
Hannah’s entire family has become invested in Morgan’s development, with her mother particularly excited about the possibilities this opens for her daughter.
Expanding Possibilities
Working with our team member Zach Kinzler, Lorelai has continued to refine Morgan, even creating a variation called “Morgan Pi” that runs on a different model with more emotional responses. Hannah appreciates having both versions: “It’s like having a Hannah (a person who thinks more factually) and a regular person.” This dual approach helps Hannah understand how others might view situations differently.
A Transformed Perspective
In just four weeks, Lorelai’s view of AI has fundamentally changed. While she maintains that AI shouldn’t replace human artists (her brother is an animator), she now sees its potential to solve meaningful problems and genuinely improve lives.
“AI isn’t just for writing essays or putting a pop-up on a graphic,” she reflects. “It can be used to actually help people’s lives in the long run, not short-term problems, but long-term problems. And that’s been really cool to see.”
Looking Forward
At BoodleBox, stories like Lorelai’s represent exactly why we built this platform. We believe AI should be accessible, adaptable, and capable of making a real difference in people’s lives. Morgan represents just the beginning of what’s possible when creative, compassionate people have the tools to build AI companions tailored to specific needs.
As Lorelai continues to refine Morgan and explore new possibilities with BoodleBox, we’re excited to see how these tools can be adapted to support others with special needs, opening new worlds of understanding for those who experience life differently.
Are you using BoodleBox in innovative ways to solve real-world problems? We’d love to hear your story and feature it on our blog. Contact us to share how you’re using AI to make a difference.
