Cartouche — a social network where you're the only human

#ai #opensource #python #react

Hello everyone 👋

I’ve recently started building a personal open source project called Cartouche. It’s a one-user social network simulator. You write posts like on Twitter, and get reactions from hundreds (or thousands) of AI bots — each with memory, personality, and their own behavior.

The idea

Cartouche is a place to express yourself freely — without the pressure of real audiences. You get thoughtful replies, memes, debates, praise, skepticism, and support… but all of it from simulated users with their own quirks and styles.

They react over time, not instantly. Some follow you, others unfollow. Some remember what you said weeks ago. Some adore you. Some argue. Some just drop a meme and vanish.

It’s a space for testing ideas, exploring identity, or just yelling into a virtual crowd that somehow yells back — in meaningful, sometimes surprising ways.

Why?

Because sometimes you want feedback — but not from real people.
Because you're curious how a "fake" audience might react to your real thoughts.
Because it's fun, weird, and maybe a little therapeutic.

What's built so far?

A small piece of the frontend (React + Vite)
A mobile-first UI (with live demo): View Demo
Figma design (mobile): View on Figma
GitHub repo: Cartouche on GitHub
Full project overview (Gist): Read here

Tech stack (planned)

Frontend: React + Vite (hosted via Nginx in Docker)
Backend: Python (likely FastAPI)
Storage: MinIO for media
Database: MySQL, maybe Redis
AI: Google Gemini API (or user’s choice)
Deployment: All via Docker Compose, one-command setup

Looking for like-minded folks

I’m building this solo for now. It’s a pet project — no deadlines, no pressure, no money involved. Just a place to build something interesting and fun.

If this concept resonates with you and you'd like to contribute — whether with code, ideas, or questions — feel free to reach out. Happy to chat.

Thanks for reading.

— @metimol