Agora, Inc., a global leader in real-time engagement and conversational AI, announced a strategic partnership with Sentino to create a new AI agent platform for physical AI designed to help AI brands and device manufacturers build long-term, emotionally engaging AI companions.
Built using Agora’s conversational AI engine, the platform combines real-time conversations with memories, emotions, and multimodal expressions, moving AI beyond simple chats and into everyday companionship.
“The next frontier of AI is presence, not just intelligence. Sentino’s expertise in emotional depth, combined with Agora’s real-time conversational AI engine, enables developers to go beyond transactional interactions. We are building an infrastructure for AI that not only answers questions, but connects with people in meaningful, long-term ways,” said Tony Wang, co-founder and chief revenue officer at Agora.
From chatbots to companions
Most AI agents are designed to be responsive. Very few things are designed to stay.
Agora and Sentino address this gap by enabling AI agents to maintain presence, remember shared moments, and express emotions over time. The result is an AI that keeps users coming back, rather than just trying it once.
Simple and scalable ecosystem
- agora Provides real-time AI infrastructure and overall platform design
- Centino AI Provides agent personas and companion capabilities based on Agora’s conversational AI
- customer You can quickly launch products that utilize AI without building a core system from scratch.
This approach reduces complexity and speeds time to market.
Also read: AiThority interview with Zohaib Ahmed, co-founder and CEO of Resemble AI
Four key features that create long-term engagement
1. Agent “OS” (inner thought): always present
The AI agent automatically generates short, context-aware inner thoughts based on user interactions and idle time. These reflections give the agent a sense of continued presence even when no conversation is taking place.
why is it important
- Agents feel alive, not silent
- Users develop stronger emotional bonds and return more often
2. AI diary: remember shared moments
AI Diary transforms daily interactions into short, persona-aligned diary entries, capturing meaningful events and emotions without any effort on your part.
why is it important
- Build a shared history between users and agents
- Encourage users to revisit past moments and increase retention
3. Diary illustration: Visualize your memories
Each diary entry can include an auto-generated crayon-style image that reflects the agent’s personality or story of the day.
why is it important
- Add emotional depth without extra interactions
- Particularly attractive for children, families and lifestyle devices
4. Music diary: Turn memories into sounds
Music Diary transforms diary content into emotion-based music that users can play and revisit.
why is it important
- Deepen emotional connections through sound
- Create premium content and subscription opportunities
Why scenario-based AI works
Task-based AI solves problems. Scenario-based AI builds habits.
The platform keeps AI agents emotionally relevant and continuously engaged by focusing on everyday experiences such as memories, reflections, visuals, and music.
Built for real-world use cases
The platform supports a wide range of physics AI applications, including:
- AI companions and lifestyle devices
- Education and language learning
- Fandom and brand avatars
- Meditation, introspection, and emotional guidance
By using shared building blocks, brands can quickly and easily extend functionality.
Management perspective
Sentino CEO Chris Chen said: “Turning static characters into living assets allows IP holders to go beyond simple interactions and build sustainable emotional economies with fans.”
A platform designed to grow over time
With continuous updates and new companion scenarios, the Agora × Sentino platform is built to evolve without disrupting existing products.
Shaping the future of physical AI
Together, Agora and Sentino are redefining physical AI as AI that is present, personal, and worth coming back to.
