Contributing to AICO¶

Welcome to the AICO project! 🤝 We're building an emotionally present, embodied, and proactive AI companion that evolves from basic conversation partner to trusted co-adventurer. Whether you're here to code, design, write, organize, or just explore, you're welcome to join our open experiment.

Project Status

We're currently in the Foundation phase, building core infrastructure. This is the perfect time to get involved and help shape AICO's future!

🌟 Why Contribute to AICO?¶

Shape the Future of AI Companionship - Help define what authentic human-AI relationships look like
Work with Cutting-Edge Technology - AppraisalCloudPCT emotion simulation, MCTS planning, RND curiosity, federated learning
Privacy-First Innovation - Build local-first AI that respects user autonomy and data ownership
Open Research - Contribute to advancing affective computing and autonomous agency
Welcoming Community - Join a respectful, collaborative environment focused on authentic relationships

🚀 Ways to Contribute¶

You Don't Need to Code!¶

AICO needs diverse skills and perspectives. Here's how you can contribute:

📝 Documentation & Writing¶

Improve project documentation and guides
Write tutorials and examples
Create blog posts about AICO's development
Help with technical writing and editing
Translate documentation

🎨 Design & User Experience¶

Design UI/UX for human-AI interaction
Create visual assets and branding
Develop avatar designs and animations
Improve accessibility and usability
Design emotional expression systems

🔬 Research & Analysis¶

Research emotion recognition techniques
Study personality modeling approaches
Analyze human-AI interaction patterns
Investigate privacy-preserving ML methods
Explore autonomous agency algorithms

🏗️ Project Management¶

Organize issues and project boards
Coordinate community activities
Plan development milestones
Facilitate discussions and decisions
Help onboard new contributors

🧪 Testing & Quality Assurance¶

Write and run tests
Report bugs and issues
Validate emotional responses
Test privacy and security features
Perform usability testing

For Developers & Engineers¶

🤖 AI/ML Engineers¶

Implement emotion recognition systems
Develop autonomous agency algorithms
Work on personality modeling
Optimize local LLM integration
Build curiosity-driven learning systems

📱 Flutter Developers¶

Build cross-platform mobile/desktop UI
Integrate WebView avatar systems
Develop real-time communication features
Create responsive, accessible interfaces
Implement platform-specific features

🐍 Python Backend Developers¶

Build FastAPI backend services
Implement ZeroMQ message bus
Develop plugin architecture
Create resource management systems
Build privacy and security features

🎭 3D/Avatar Developers¶

Integrate Ready Player Me avatars
Implement TalkingHead.js features
Create emotional expression systems
Build lip-sync and animation
Develop AR/VR embodiment

🔒 Privacy Engineers¶

Implement encryption systems
Design federated learning protocols
Build zero-knowledge architectures
Create privacy-preserving analytics
Develop secure communication protocols

🔧 Hardware Enthusiasts¶

Design IoT integrations
Build robotic embodiments
Create sensor integration systems
Develop edge computing solutions
Prototype physical AI companions

🛠️ Development Process¶

Getting Started¶

Explore the Project
Read our README (file does not exist) and Documentation
Check out our Development Roadmap
Browse existing Issues and Discussions
Find Your First Contribution
Look for issues labeled good first issue or help wanted
Check our Current Development Stage
Ask questions in Discussions
Set Up Development Environment
Fork the repository
Clone your fork locally
Follow setup instructions (coming soon as codebase develops)

Making Contributions¶

Create a Feature Branch

git checkout -b feature/your-feature-name

Make Your Changes
Follow our coding standards (documentation coming soon)
Write clear, descriptive commit messages
Add tests for new functionality
Update documentation as needed
Submit a Pull Request
Push your branch to your fork
Open a pull request with a clear description
Reference any related issues
Be responsive to feedback and reviews

Communication Guidelines¶

Be Effective¶

Give Context: Explain what you're trying to do and why
Do Your Homework: Check existing docs, issues, and discussions first
Keep It Concise: Respect everyone's time with clear, direct communication
Stay Public: Use issues and discussions for transparency and community learning

Be Respectful¶

Assume Good Intentions: We're all here to build something meaningful
Be Patient: Everyone was new once, and maintainers are volunteers
Accept Decisions: The community may have different priorities or vision
Stay Classy: Written communication can be misunderstood—be kind and professional

🤝 Code of Conduct¶

Respect is non-negotiable—this project is about trust and authenticity, not swagger or showmanship.

Be Respectful and Inclusive: Welcome people of all backgrounds and experience levels
Focus on Constructive Feedback: Help each other improve and learn
Collaborate Openly: Share knowledge and work transparently
Respect Privacy and Ethics: Honor our commitment to user privacy and ethical AI
Maintain Authenticity: Keep the spirit of genuine companionship in everything we build

📋 Current Priorities¶

Foundation Phase (Current)¶

Core infrastructure scaffolding
ZeroMQ message bus implementation
Plugin system architecture
Resource management systems
Security and encryption framework

Coming Next: MVP Phase¶

Flutter UI development
Local LLM integration (Ollama)
Basic avatar system
Memory and personality engines
Voice interaction systems

See our detailed roadmaps for complete development plans.

🆘 Getting Help¶

Questions about Contributing: Open a Discussion
Bug Reports: Create an Issue with detailed reproduction steps
Feature Requests: Start a Discussion to gather community input
Technical Help: Check existing issues or ask in Discussions
Direct Contact: Reach out to Lead Maintainer Michael Böni for sensitive matters

🎯 Recognition¶

We believe in recognizing contributions of all kinds: - Contributors are acknowledged in our README and documentation - Significant contributions are highlighted in release notes - Community members can earn maintainer status through consistent, quality contributions - We celebrate diverse contributions beyond just code

Remember: We're building something that should care, not just calculate. Every contribution—whether it's code, design, documentation, or community building—helps create more authentic and meaningful human-AI relationships.

Ready to start? Check out our current issues or join the discussion! 🚀