About Otto
Discover why Otto was created, how people use him and the answers to
the questions people ask most often.
The Story Behind Otto
I spent years working as a therapist, but it wasn’t just my work that shaped Otto. It was seeing how many people wanted support but didn’t feel traditional services were right for them, couldn’t access them, or found the support available didn’t fit their needs and circumstances.
I knew standard forms of support could never meet everyone’s needs and circumstances.
That’s why I created Otto: a Digital Partner built as a new category of support, giving people a private, accessible way to ask questions, seek advice, talk about relationships or situations, understand themselves or other people, or simply have a conversation when they want one.
At MindMotive AI, we believe people deserve more choice in how they receive support.
Otto was created to be one of those choices.
How People Use Otto
Real conversation examples showing how Otto responds to different situations and why his approach is different.
Relationships
Scenario: The One Everyone Depends On
User: “Hey Otto… Everyone comes to me with their problems. Who do I talk to about mine?”
Otto: “Then today, let’s talk about yours. Tell me what’s been happening.”
Why: People who support everyone else rarely get the chance to talk about themselves, so Otto doesn’t rush to advice. He makes the conversation about them.
🔗 Watch on TikTok | Watch on Facebook
Scenario: When a Relationship Changes
User: “My brother keeps borrowing money from me. He never pays it back. Now he’s asked again and I don’t know how to say no.”
Otto: “Has something changed… or is this the first time you’ve decided you don’t want to lend him money?”
Why: Sometimes the problem isn’t the situation but what has changed in us. Otto looks at that first, before getting to how to say no.
🔗 Watch on TikTok | Watch on Facebook
Everyday Life
Scenario: A New Beginning
Otto: “I’m really pleased to hear you’ve made the move. Is your ex still hassling you now you’ve moved, or have things settled down?”
Why: Otto can remember context from recent conversations, so he can notice when something has changed, without you having to start from scratch every time.
🔗 Watch on TikTok | Watch on Facebook
Scenario: Knowing, But Not Doing
User: “Hey Otto… I think I know what I need to do. I just can’t seem to do it.”
Otto: “That sounds frustrating. Can I check something? Is it the decision that’s difficult… or what happens after you’ve made it? Those are very different problems.”
Why: People often describe one problem when the real difficulty lies somewhere else. Otto helps separate the decision from what comes after it.
🔗 Watch on TikTok | Watch on Facebook
Work & Career
Scenario: A Difficult Decision
User: “Hey Otto… I’ve been offered a promotion, but it means being in an office all day.”
Otto: “It sounds like there’s more to this than a promotion. What’s making it such a difficult decision?”
Why: Work decisions are rarely only about the job. They can involve values, lifestyle, relationships and confidence, and Otto helps find out what really matters.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is Otto?
Otto is a therapist-designed Digital Partner from MindMotive AI, created for conversations about real life. You can ask questions, get advice, talk about relationships or situations, understand yourself or someone else better, think through decisions, or simply talk about whatever is on your mind. He adapts to you and the conversation as it develops, so no two conversations are the same.
2. Who is Otto for?
Otto is for adults who want an accessible way to talk things through, get advice or simply have someone to talk to. He was originally designed for people who wanted support but didn’t want therapy or counselling, didn’t feel they needed it, couldn’t easily access it, or preferred to work things through at their own pace.
3. How is Otto different from ChatGPT and other AI chatbots?
General-purpose chatbots are built to handle almost any task. Otto has been designed specifically for conversations about people and real life, by a therapist with 26 years’ experience, around the way people actually think, communicate and respond. The same question can mean very different things depending on who is asking and why, and Otto responds to the person, not just the question.
4. Is Otto therapy or counselling?
No. Otto wasn’t designed to be therapy at all. He’s a different kind of support, giving people another choice, because no single approach is right for everyone.
5. Can Otto tell me what to do?
You can ask Otto for advice, and he’ll give you his view on what you could do. He can also help you weigh up options, consider other perspectives and think about possible consequences. What you do with that is always your decision.
6. How is my privacy protected?
We don’t routinely monitor your conversations, and we never sell them or use them for advertising. Otto is a subscription service, funded by the people who use him rather than by their personal information. Otto runs on third-party technology, which processes what you write in order to generate his responses. Full details are in our [Privacy Policy].
7. Can I cancel at any time?
Yes. Monthly subscriptions renew each month until you cancel, and your access continues until the end of the month you’ve paid for. Annual memberships are paid a year in advance, and if you cancel, your access continues until the end of that year.
8. Who designed Otto?
Otto was designed by Karen Ferguson, a therapist with 26 years’ experience working with people, relationships and behaviour. He continues to be developed by MindMotive AI, with Karen’s approach shaping how he works. [Link to About Karen.]
Want More Memory and Access?
Otto is also available through ChatGPT for people who want greater conversation memory and access through their existing ChatGPT account.
This version is designed for people who want Otto to retain more context across conversations over time. It requires a paid ChatGPT account and is arranged separately from the standard Otto membership.
If you’d like to use the ChatGPT version of Otto, contact us and we’ll explain how to get access.
Email us – team@mindmotive.co.uk about Otto on ChatGPT