GoWild introduces Sasquatch-inspired AI chatbot to defeat forum trolls for good

GoWild officially released SquatchBot, a mad scientist creation that combines the folklore legend Sasquatch with the power of artificial intelligence. The furry chatbot is live on the GoWild social media app and is actively helping thousands of outdoor enthusiasts.

GoWild, a social gear shop for anglers and hunters, has a feature that allows members to ask questions of the community. This feature uses the platform’s algorithm to find other members who are knowledgeable with the question topic. With the addition of AI chatbot, members get an immediate answer to their question from SquatchBot. Members can also ask SquatchBot questions via direct message.

GoWild quietly launched a beta version of SquatchBot in early December 2022. The company monitored and refined the bot for several months, fine tuning his responses to be more accurate. The product is now live for everyone in the app, and is actively being trained on content he creates, as well as historical content.

SquatchBot’s creator and GoWild Cofounder, Chief Development Officer, Chris Gleim, predicts that SquatchBot will make hunting forums and Facebook Groups obsolete when it comes to Q&A. 

“When you ask redundant questions in forums or Facebook groups, generally one of two things happen,” said Gleim. “You’re either scolded for asking something that has already been asked, or you are ignored because people grow tired of answering the same questions. SquatchBot never tires of helping, and is constantly digesting historical content to make him smarter.”

Gleim and a small team within GoWild built proprietary tools to automate the training of SquatchBot, which consists of both human reviews of content, and building automated feedback loops.

“As the community interacts with his content, such as upvoting his comments, we learn what answers were helpful, and what weren’t,” said Gleim. “This is helping us build an AI mentor who has digested years of outdoor content online and is now learning from our community’s experts.”

Over the last few weeks, SquatchBot has yielded great advice across hundreds of posts:

• SquatchBot recommended 5 books on training bird dogs to a member who had a 6 month old puppy.

• He broke down the primary differences between fixed broadheads vs. mechanicals for a new archer.

• When someone said they had a mink eating their chickens, SquatchBot gave a list of tips for live trapping minks.

• He recommended a Jetboil Flash Cooking System for backcountry hunts due to its light weight and efficiency.

• SquatchBot helped a member who was tanning a hide and trying to decide if he should pickle his fur or not. The bot provided specific examples of when to pickle. 

• He gave a list of tips on training a member’s dog for shed antlers.

• SquatchBot helped someone traveling through Lexington, Ky. find half a dozen lakes for fishing within driving distance.

To try out SquatchBot, download GoWild for iPhone or Android, and create an account. Tap + in the bottom menu, then toggle “Mark my post as a question” or you can message him directly by searching for his account.