# What is Poe, the Quora app for chatting with AI bots?

Date: 2023-02-04 · Author: Robert Scales · https://guidetoartificialintelligence.com/en/learn/what-is-poe-by-quora/

**Answer:** Poe is a free iPhone and iPad app from Quora that lets you ask questions and hold conversations with several different AI chatbots in one place, each in its own chat thread. Until this week it was invite-only; on February 3, 2023, an app update removed the invitation requirement, so anyone with an iOS device can now sign up.

Since ChatGPT arrived in late November, many people have wondered whether there will be one chatbot to rule them all or many to choose from. Quora, the question-and-answer website, is betting on many. Its app, Poe, puts several AI chatbots side by side in a single place, and as of yesterday, February 3, 2023, you no longer need an invitation to use it.

The change arrived quietly, in the notes for version 1.1.2 of the app on Apple's App Store: invitations are no longer required. Poe has been in a closed test since December, so this is the first time the general public can try it.

## What Poe is

The name stands for "Platform for Open Exploration." Poe is an app, not a new AI model. Quora did not train its own chatbot for it. Instead, it connects you to existing text-generating models from other companies. When Poe first appeared in December, TechCrunch reported that the bots on offer included ChatGPT, OpenAI's chatbot.

The design borrows from messaging apps. Each AI model appears as a separate contact, and you chat with each one in its own thread, the way you would text different friends. The app also suggests conversation starters grouped by theme, such as writing help, cooking and problem solving, for people who are not sure what to ask.

Quora presents Poe as a separate project from its main website, not a feature of it. A Quora spokesperson told TechCrunch that the company's long experience serving people who look for knowledge could carry over to this new kind of product, where people talk to large language models (programs trained on vast amounts of text to predict likely next words).

## What changed on February 3

| Before February 3 | From February 3 (version 1.1.2) |
|---|---|
| Invite-only beta, with a waitlist | Invitations no longer required |
| iPhone and iPad only | Still iPhone and iPad only (iOS 15 or later) |
| Sign-up with email and phone | Still email and phone, while Quora handles scaling problems from launch |

The app is listed by Quora, Inc., weighs about 21 MB and is rated 12+. Early reviewers on the App Store complained about the waitlist and about having to give both an email address and a phone number before seeing anything. Quora's update note explains the double sign-up as a temporary measure while it deals with demand.

## Why it matters

Poe is a bet on a particular future: one where people use several AI models, not just one, and want a simple way to switch between them. Quora's spokesperson argued that a great deal of work is going into the models themselves, but that people around the world also need easy-to-use interfaces to benefit from them. Poe is meant to be that interface.

Quora also told TechCrunch it plans to let model providers submit their own bots, which could turn Poe into something like a directory of chatbots. For companies that can build a model but not a polished app, that would be a quick way to reach the public.

There are open questions. Quora says it relies on each model's provider to moderate and filter what its bot says, rather than adding its own layer of safety checks. That means the quality and safety of answers depend on whichever bot you are talking to. Quora has also not explained how Poe will make money; when asked in December, its spokesperson said it was early days.

> **Try it:** Pick one question you care about, such as "What should I check before buying a used bicycle?" Ask it to two different bots in Poe, word for word. Note which answer is clearer, which one admits uncertainty, and which facts you would still want to check elsewhere.

## How can you get the most out of an app with several AI bots?

Treat the bots as different advisers rather than copies of one another. Each model was trained in its own way, so the same question can produce different styles, lengths and even facts. Asking the same question in two threads is a quick way to spot weak answers: if the bots disagree on a fact, that is your cue to check a reliable source.

Keep your prompts consistent when comparing. Use the same wording, give the same background, and ask for the same format, for example:

```prompt
I am a beginner cook. Explain how to make a simple tomato sauce in five numbered steps, with one tip for each step. Keep it under 150 words.
```

Finally, remember that Poe is a gateway, not the source. The answers come from the models behind each bot, with their own strengths and mistakes. Avoid sharing private details in any chat, keep notes on which bot works best for which kind of task, and expect the list of bots to change as Quora adds new providers.

## Sources

- Poe – Fast, Helpful AI Chat (App Store listing): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/poe-fast-helpful-ai-chat/id1640745955
- Quora launches Poe, a way to talk to AI chatbots like ChatGPT: https://techcrunch.com/2022/12/21/quora-launches-poe-a-way-to-talk-to-ai-chatbots-like-chatgpt/