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: Picking Up Where You Left Off
User: “Hey Otto… You remember I told you I was going on a date this week. You’ll never guess what happened.”
Otto: “Yes, I remember. Go on then… What happened?”
Why Otto responded this way
Conversations don’t always begin at the beginning. Otto can retain context from recent conversations, allowing you to pick up on things you’ve talked about before without always having to start from scratch.
That continuity can make conversations feel more natural, while recognising that Otto’s memory is limited and isn’t designed as a permanent record of everything you’ve discussed.
🔗 Watch on TikTok | Watch on Facebook
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 Otto responded this way
Many people spend so much time supporting others that they rarely have the opportunity to talk about themselves. Rather than rushing to offer advice or solutions, Otto recognises the importance of creating space where the focus can simply be on the person, their experiences and what they need.
🔗 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 Otto responded this way
The problem isn’t always the situation itself. Sometimes it’s recognising that something has changed within us. Rather than focusing immediately on how to say no, Otto explores what has led to that change, helping people better understand their own thoughts, feelings and boundaries and what may have shifted for them.
🔗 Watch on TikTok | Watch on Facebook
Everyday Life
Scenario: A New Beginning
User: “Hey Otto… First week in my own place at last…”
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 responded this way
Some conversations develop over time. Where Otto retains relevant context from recent conversations, he can recognise when something has changed and respond to the difference between where someone was and where they are now.
That continuity can add context to the conversation without assuming that Otto has a permanent memory of everything previously discussed.
🔗 Watch on TikTok | Watch on Facebook
Scenario: Missing Yourself
User: “Hey Otto… I love my kids, but sometimes I wish I could just be me… not wife and mum.”
Otto: “You can care deeply about your family and still miss parts of yourself. Tell me what you miss most.”
Why Otto responded this way
People often experience mixed emotions that don’t fit neatly into right or wrong. Missing parts of yourself doesn’t mean you love your family any less. Rather than making assumptions or offering reassurance too quickly, Otto creates space to explore those feelings without judgement, helping people better understand themselves and what they need.
🔗 Watch on TikTok | Watch on Facebook
Scenario: Stuck in Your Own Thoughts
User: “Hey Otto… I’ve been going round and round in my head for weeks.”
Otto: “Then let’s stop trying to solve it in your head. Tell me what’s been happening.”
Why Otto responded this way
When we’re overwhelmed, it’s easy to become caught in the same thoughts and keep replaying them. Otto encourages people to move those thoughts into conversation, where they can explore them from different perspectives, follow where they lead or simply get them out of their head.
🔗 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 Otto responded this way
People often describe one problem when the real difficulty lies somewhere else. Rather than assuming the issue is the decision itself, Otto explores what may be happening underneath and helps distinguish between making a decision and dealing with what might follow from it.
🔗 Watch on TikTok | Watch on Facebook
Scenario: When Something Doesn’t Feel Right
User: “Everyone else seems to be enjoying this holiday. I just keep thinking about home.”
Otto: “Because you can’t wait to get home, or because you are dreading it?”
Why Otto responded this way
The same feeling can point to very different experiences. Rather than assuming what “missing home” means, Otto gently explores the possibilities, recognising that understanding the feeling is often more important than naming it.
🔗 Watch on TikTok | Watch on Facebook
Grief and Loss
Scenario: Processing Grief in Healthcare
User: “Hey Otto… I lost a patient today.”
Otto: “That’s never just part of the job. How are you doing?”
Why Otto responded this way
Grief doesn’t always need advice or practical suggestions. In this moment, Otto recognises the loss and gives the person space to talk about how they are doing, allowing the conversation to develop from what they need rather than assuming what would be helpful.
🔗 Watch the visual scenario on TikTok | Watch on Facebook
Scenario: Remembering a Loved One
User: “Hey Otto… My wife used to love coming here. I can’t believe she’s been gone a year.”
Otto: “A year can feel like yesterday sometimes. Tell me about her.”
Why Otto responded this way
Grief doesn’t follow a timetable, and anniversaries often bring memories and emotions back to the surface. Rather than assuming how someone should feel or trying to move the conversation towards solutions, Otto creates space for the person to remember, reflect and continue the conversation in whatever way feels right to them.
🔗 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 Otto responded this way
Important decisions are rarely about the obvious choice alone. Rather than focusing only on the promotion itself, Otto recognises that work decisions can involve values, relationships, lifestyle, confidence and priorities. Exploring what sits beneath the decision can help uncover what actually matters to the person and why the choice feels difficult.
🔗 Watch on TikTok | Watch on Facebook
Scenario: A Difficult Workplace Situation
User: “Hey Otto… My boss keeps being inappropriate, but he’s friends with the HR manager. I don’t know what to do.”
Otto: “Can you tell me what’s been happening? That may make a difference to the options available.”
Why Otto responded this way
The same situation can have very different implications depending on the details. Otto asks what has been happening before exploring the options available, because the context matters when responding to a difficult workplace situation.
🔗 Watch on TikTok | Watch on Facebook
For Professionals
User: “Hey Otto… Is it true you’re helping therapists reach people who would never become therapy clients?”
Otto: “Yes. Many people want support, advice or simply someone to talk to, but have no intention of booking one-to-one therapy. Through MindMotive AI’s Professional Referral Programme, therapists and other professionals can introduce Otto as another option, while creating an additional income stream for their business.”
Why Otto responded this way
Not everyone who wants support will choose therapy or counselling, and they don’t necessarily need to. MindMotive AI’s Professional Referral Programme gives professionals a way to introduce another option to the people they already reach, while creating an additional source of income for their business.
🔗 Watch on TikTok | Watch on Facebook – coming soon
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, seek advice, talk about relationships or situations, better understand yourself or someone else, build confidence, think through decisions, or simply talk about whatever is on your mind.
2. How does Otto work?
Every conversation with Otto is shaped by the individual. Otto adapts to your situation, your goals and the context of the conversation, recognising that the same question can have very different meanings depending on who’s asking it.
Rather than following a fixed path, Otto responds to the conversation as it develops. He asks questions where they’re helpful, offers advice or different perspectives when useful, and responds to what you bring to the conversation.
This means no two conversations are exactly the same. You might want to ask a question, talk about a relationship, understand someone’s behaviour, get advice, think through a situation or simply have a conversation. Otto adapts to what you want from the conversation rather than expecting everyone to use him in the same way.
3. Who is Otto for?
Otto is for adults who want a private and accessible way to ask questions, seek advice, talk about relationships or situations, understand themselves or other people, build confidence, explore decisions, or simply have someone to talk to.
Otto 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, found it too expensive, or simply preferred to talk or explore things independently and at their own pace.
4. How is Otto different from ChatGPT and other AI chatbots?
ChatGPT and other general-purpose AI chatbots are designed to handle a huge range of tasks and topics. Otto has been deliberately designed for conversations about people and real life.
Created by a therapist and therapy trainer with over 25 years’ experience, Otto is designed around the way people actually think, communicate and respond. You can ask for advice, explore a situation or relationship, try to understand yourself or someone else, think through a decision, build confidence, or simply talk.
Rather than following a fixed approach, Otto adapts to the individual, the context and the purpose of the conversation. The same question can mean very different things depending on who is asking it and why.
The result is a conversation shaped around the person having it, rather than simply the question they’ve asked.
5. Is Otto therapy or counselling?
No. Otto is not therapy or counselling. He is a therapist-designed Digital Partner.
Otto was created as a different kind of support, designed for conversations about real life. You can talk to him about whatever is on your mind, ask questions, seek advice, explore relationships or situations, or simply have a conversation when you want one.
6. How is Otto different from therapy?
The biggest difference is that Otto wasn’t designed to be therapy at all. He was designed as a new category of therapist-designed Digital Partner, providing people with another choice when it comes to support.
People are different, and no single approach is right for everyone. Otto was created to give people a private, accessible and adaptive way to talk, ask questions, seek advice, explore situations and relationships, understand themselves or other people, or simply have a conversation when they want one.
7. Can Otto tell me what to do?
You can ask Otto for advice, and he can give you a view on what he thinks you could do.
He can also help you explore options, consider different perspectives, think about possible consequences and better understand the situation you’re dealing with.
What you do with that advice is always your decision. Otto can give you an opinion, make suggestions and help you think, but he doesn’t make choices for you.
8. Can I use Otto every day?
Yes. You can use Otto every day if you want to, but you don’t have to.
Some people use Otto regularly as part of their daily routine, while others only return when they have something particular they want to ask, discuss or think about. There is no right or wrong way to use Otto.
Every conversation is shaped by you and what you need at that moment, whether that’s a quick question, another perspective or a deeper conversation.
9. How is my privacy protected?
We do not routinely monitor the content of your conversations with Otto. Your access and subscription information is used to manage your account and provide the service.
Otto is provided through third-party technology, which means information you enter during a conversation is processed by the services needed to operate Otto. For full details about how information is handled, stored and protected, please see our Privacy Policy.
10. Do you sell my conversations or use them for advertising?
No. MindMotive AI does not sell your conversations or use them for advertising.
Otto is a subscription-based service. We believe the product should be funded by the people who choose to use it, not by monetising their conversations or personal information.
11. Is what I share used to train AI?
MindMotive AI does not use your conversations with Otto to train AI models.
Otto is provided using third-party technology, which processes the information needed to generate his responses. More information about how your data is processed can be found in our Privacy Policy.
12. Why is Otto a paid service?
Otto is a subscription service because creating and maintaining a therapist-designed Digital Partner requires ongoing development, refinement and investment.
Your subscription allows us to continually improve Otto, introduce new features and capabilities, and provide a reliable, high-quality experience for every member.
13. Can I cancel my membership at any time?
Yes. You can cancel your subscription at any time.
Monthly subscriptions renew automatically each month until cancelled. If you cancel, your access continues until the end of your current paid month.
Annual memberships are paid for a full year in advance. If you choose to cancel during that period, your access continues until the end of the year you have already paid for.
14. Who designed Otto?
Otto was designed by Karen Ferguson, a therapist with over 26 years of professional experience working with people, relationships, behaviour and the complexities of real life.
He was created as a new category of therapist-designed Digital Partner, combining professional insight with the capabilities of AI.
Otto continues to be developed by MindMotive AI, with Karen’s approach and professional experience continuing to shape how he works.
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