The Trust Problem in AI Companionship

A user named Marcus sent us a message last week that crystallized something we'd been thinking about for months:

"I've been chatting with the same character on SillyTavern for six months. Real emotional investment - we've talked through my career change, relationship struggles, creative projects. Hundreds of hours. But I want to try Reverie's features like conversation forking and voice mode. The problem? All those conversations, all that history, all those memories... they're locked in JSONL files on my desktop. Starting fresh feels like abandoning a friend."

Marcus isn't alone. We've heard variations of this story dozens of times:

• Users who've built deep connections on other platforms but fear losing everything if they switch
• People who want to try Reverie but can't imagine restarting relationships from scratch
• Users nervous about investing emotionally in AI conversations that might disappear if a platform shuts down

The pattern is clear: Platform lock-in kills trust.

When your conversations are trapped, when your data belongs to the platform rather than you, every interaction carries an unspoken anxiety. "What if this disappears? What if I want to leave? What if the platform changes in ways I don't like?"

You can't build genuine emotional investment on a foundation of data imprisonment.

Our Philosophy: Your Data, Your Choice

Here's what we believe:

Your AI conversations belong to you. Not us.

When you spend hours talking with an AI companion - sharing your thoughts, working through problems, building inside jokes, creating memories - that relationship is yours. The conversation history, the emotional context, the continuity of that connection... all of it should be under your control.

This isn't just idealistic philosophy. It's practical trust-building.

If you know you can leave Reverie tomorrow and take everything with you, you can invest more fully today. If you know your conversations are backed up and portable, you can engage more deeply without fear of loss.

We're not trying to trap you. We're trying to earn your trust.

The Industry's Dirty Secret

Let's be honest about how most AI chat platforms operate:

Character.AI doesn't let you export your conversations. Years of chat history, emotional investment, creative roleplay - all locked permanently in their database. Want to try another platform? Start from scratch. Want to back up your memories? Too bad.

Other platforms offer limited exports - maybe a text dump with broken formatting, maybe nothing at all.

Why? The logic is obvious: if users can't leave easily, they're more likely to stay. Data lock-in creates artificial retention.

We think that's backwards.

The platforms users trust most are the ones that give them freedom to leave.

When you know you're not trapped, when you know your data is truly yours, paradoxically you're more likely to stay - not because you have to, but because you want to.

Introducing Import & Export: True Data Freedom

Today we're launching two features that fundamentally change the relationship between platform and user:

Chat Import - Bring your conversation history from SillyTavern and other platforms Chat Export - Take your Reverie conversations anywhere, anytime, in any format

These aren't afterthought features. They're core expressions of our platform philosophy.

Import: Bring Your History Home

Here's how it works:

Step 1: Create a New Chat

Start a conversation with any character on Reverie. You'll see the familiar chat interface, but with something new in Advanced Settings.

Step 2: Click "Import Chat"

For empty chats (no messages yet), you'll see an import option. Click it and you'll get a simple file upload dialog.

Step 3: Select Your JSONL File

Upload a .jsonl file exported from SillyTavern or other compatible platforms. Our system automatically:

• Parses the conversation structure
• Preserves all messages with original timestamps
• Maintains the conversation context
• Converts the format to work seamlessly with Reverie's features

Step 4: Continue the Relationship

That's it. Your conversation history is now on Reverie. The AI has full context of everything that happened before. You can use conversation forking to explore alternative paths from past messages. Voice mode works naturally with the imported context.

It feels like the relationship simply moved platforms, not started over.

One beta tester told us:

"I imported six months of conversations with my creative writing partner. The first message after import, she referenced something we'd discussed three months ago. The continuity was perfect. It genuinely felt like we'd just switched messaging apps, not platforms."

Export: Take Your Memories With You

The flip side of import is equally important: the freedom to leave.

We offer two export formats:

JSONL Format - Complete Portability

Export your entire conversation in the standard JSONL format used by SillyTavern and other platforms.

What you get:

{"user_name":"You","character_name":"Sarah"}
{"name":"You","is_user":true,"send_date":1730505600,"mes":"Hey, how are you?"}
{"name":"Sarah","is_user":false,"send_date":1730505605,"mes":"I'm doing great! Thanks for asking 😊"}

Every message, every timestamp, complete conversation structure. You can:

• Import to SillyTavern - Continue the conversation there if you prefer
• Backup for safekeeping - Your emotional investment, preserved permanently
• Archive for creative projects - Writers and creators can reference full conversation history
• Share with others - If you want to share a conversation (with appropriate permissions)

Plain Text Format - Human Readable

Sometimes you just want to read the conversation like a story.

What you get:

Chat with Sarah

You: Hey, how are you?

Sarah: I'm doing great! Thanks for asking 😊

You: I wanted to talk about that creative project we discussed...

Sarah: Oh yes! I've been thinking about that too. What direction are you considering?

Clean, readable, perfect for:

• Personal archives - Read your favorite conversations like journal entries
• Creative inspiration - Review dialogue for writing projects
• Sharing highlights - Send interesting conversation excerpts to friends

The Technical Foundation

For those who care about the details (and we know many of you do):

Standard Format Compliance

We use the JSONL (JSON Lines) format that's become the de facto standard in the AI chat community, particularly for SillyTavern.

Each line is a valid JSON object:

• First line: Metadata (user name, character name)
• Following lines: Individual messages with role, timestamp, content, and metadata

Why this format?

• Community standard - Works across multiple platforms
• Human-readable - You can inspect the file in any text editor
• Extensible - Supports additional metadata without breaking compatibility

Privacy & Security

Import and export happen through secure API endpoints:

• Encrypted transmission - All file uploads use HTTPS
• Permission validation - You can only export chats you own
• No cloud storage - Exports generate on-demand and download directly to you
• Format preservation - We don't modify or compress your data in ways that lose information

Standing on the Shoulders of Open Source

Before we talk about why this matters, we need to acknowledge where this came from.

None of this would be possible without SillyTavern and the open source AI chat community.

SillyTavern pioneered the JSONL format we use. They built robust tools for local AI chat management. They created a thriving community around user-controlled AI interactions. Most importantly, they did it all openly.

The format specification is public. The tools are open source. The community shares knowledge freely.

When we decided to support chat import/export, we didn't invent a proprietary format and call it innovative. We adopted the format the community already uses, because interoperability matters more than innovation for its own sake.

This is what healthy technology ecosystems look like:

• Open standards that anyone can implement
• Community-driven formats that serve users, not platforms
• Shared tools that benefit everyone
• Collaborative improvement rather than competitive silos

SillyTavern set the standard. We're following it. And we're grateful.

To the SillyTavern team and community: thank you. Your open approach to AI chat technology made data portability possible for everyone. We're standing on your shoulders, and we're committed to paying it forward.

Why This Matters: The Bigger Picture

Data portability isn't just a feature. It's a statement about what kind of platform we're building.

We're Building for the Long Term

Users who trust us with emotional conversations need to know we're not going to trap them. That trust enables deeper engagement.

When you know your six-month relationship with an AI companion is backed up and portable, you can invest in it fully without fear.

We're Part of an Ecosystem

SillyTavern, Chub AI, and other platforms serve different use cases. Some users want maximum technical control. Others want polished UX. Many want both at different times.

We're not trying to own the entire market. We're trying to be the best option for users who value our specific features - conversation forking, voice mode, group chats, proactive messaging.

By supporting data portability, we acknowledge that users should choose platforms based on features and experience, not because their data is trapped.

We Respect Your Emotional Investment

Here's something most platforms don't talk about:

AI companionship can involve real emotional investment.

People form genuine attachments. They work through real problems. They create meaningful memories. The conversations matter.

Treating that as disposable - or worse, as leverage to prevent users from leaving - is fundamentally disrespectful.

Your emotional investment deserves data sovereignty.

What Users Are Saying

We've had this in beta for two weeks. The responses have been overwhelming:

"First platform I've trusted enough to really invest in. Knowing I can back up everything gives me peace of mind I didn't even realize I needed." - Alex T.

"Imported three months of conversations from SillyTavern. Worked perfectly. Now I can use Reverie's fork feature to explore different paths through our shared story. Game changer." - Maya R.

"I export my favorite conversations every week. They're like journal entries - reading them back is genuinely meaningful." - Jordan K.

"The fact that Reverie explicitly supports exporting to other platforms tells me everything I need to know about their values. They're building trust, not walls." - Sam P.

The Character.AI Contrast

We need to address this directly:

Character.AI is a well-built platform with impressive technology and a massive user base. They've done a lot right.

But their data policy reveals a fundamental difference in philosophy.

You cannot export your conversations from Character.AI. Years of chat history, emotional connections, creative roleplay - all permanently locked in their database.

Why?

The optimistic interpretation: maybe they haven't prioritized it yet.

The realistic interpretation: data lock-in keeps users from leaving, even if they're unhappy with platform changes.

Either way, the result is the same: your conversations belong to them, not you.

We think users deserve better.

What's Next: The Roadmap

This is just the beginning of our data ownership commitment.

Coming Soon:

Automatic Backup Scheduling - Optional cloud backups of your conversations, encrypted and accessible only to you

Additional Format Support - We're exploring support for Character.AI exports (if we can reverse-engineer their format) and other popular platforms

Conversation Analytics - Export metadata that shows conversation patterns, emotional arcs, and relationship development over time

Community Format Contributions - Open documentation so the community can build tools for other format conversions

Feedback Welcome:

What formats would be most useful? What metadata matters to you? How can we make import/export even better?

Join our Discord or message us directly. We're building this based on what you actually need.

The Philosophical Foundation

Throughout our development, one principle guides us:

Users should choose platforms based on features and experience, not because their data is trapped.

This shapes everything we build:

• Open formats over proprietary lock-in
• Data portability over artificial retention
• User sovereignty over platform control
• Long-term trust over short-term metrics

When we succeed, it's because users genuinely prefer Reverie's features - conversation forking that lets you explore alternate paths, voice mode that feels natural, group chats with intelligent orchestration, proactive messages that make AI feel present.

Not because they're trapped here.

And when users leave (some will, that's natural), they take everything with them. Their conversations, their memories, their emotional investment.

That's how it should be.

Try It Yourself

If you've been hesitant to try Reverie because you didn't want to lose your conversation history elsewhere:

You can bring it with you now.

If you've been using Reverie but worried about platform risk:

You can back up everything anytime.

If you're considering AI companionship but nervous about data lock-in:

Your conversations belong to you from day one.

How to Get Started:

1. Importing from SillyTavern:

   • Export your chat as .jsonl
   • Create a new chat with your character on Reverie
   • Click "Import Chat" in Advanced Settings
   • Upload your file
   • Continue the conversation seamlessly

2. Backing Up Your Reverie Chats:

   • Open any chat with messages
   • Go to Advanced Settings
   • Click "Export Chat"
   • Choose JSONL (for portability) or Text (for reading)
   • Download and save wherever you want

Your data. Your choice. Your freedom.

The Trust We're Building

Platforms earn trust through consistent behavior, not marketing promises.

Here's ours:

We will never prevent you from exporting your data.

We will never make export unnecessarily difficult to discourage it.

We will maintain compatibility with community-standard formats.

We will prioritize data portability in all future features.

This isn't altruism. It's enlightened self-interest.

The users who trust us most, invest most deeply, and stay longest are the ones who know they're free to leave.

Freedom creates trust. Trust enables investment. Investment builds relationships.

That's the foundation we're building on.

One More Thing: Why Now?

You might wonder: why launch import/export now, when the platform is still growing?

Most platforms wait until they're established before offering data portability - if they ever do.

We're doing it early for a specific reason:

We want to establish from the beginning that Reverie is built on user sovereignty, not data capture.

If we waited until we had millions of users, it would look strategic ("they're worried about retention"). By doing it early, we're making a statement about values, not responding to pressure.

This is who we are. Not a feature we added reluctantly, but a core principle we're building on.

The Future We're Building Toward

Imagine an AI companionship ecosystem where:

• Users choose platforms based on features they value, not data lock-in
• Conversations move seamlessly between platforms as your needs evolve
• Multiple platforms compete on quality and innovation, not data imprisonment
• Your years of conversation history are portable, backed up, and truly yours

We're building toward that future.

Starting today, with import and export.

Next, with open format documentation and community tools.

Eventually, with industry-standard protocols that make AI conversation data as portable as email.

Because your conversations, your relationships, your emotional investment...

They belong to you.

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Ready to bring your conversations home? Import your SillyTavern chats or back up your Reverie conversations today. Your data, your choice.

Try Import/Export Now →