Dublin Student Creates 'Anti-AI' Social Media App

DUBLIN, CA — The 2025 media landscape presents an interesting paradox: there are more shows, podcasts, and music to listen to than ever. For that reason, many people feel overwhelmed by choice. Then they turn to Google, ChatGPT, or other forms of algorithmic social media to have the decision made for them.

Rohan Nihalani, a 2024 Dublin High School graduate now studying at UC Santa Barbara, wanted to make a social network that encourages you to talk to your friends and family for recommendations, rather than algorithms and AI. “We are built on the fundamental belief that recommendations from people you trust are best,” he said.

The idea for Rhome - “Recommendation Home” - came to Nihalani when he was listening to a podcast where the host recommended “Founders,” a podcast that’s now become his favorite.

“I was shocked to find out it had been around for 7 years before I stumbled across it,” he said. “I couldn’t help but wonder how it is that something so perfectly suited for me took 7 years to find and I almost never even did. What if I had missed that episode? Or what if I wasn’t paying attention at that exact moment the host recommended it? It made me realize that there is probably so much other content out there that I would love but do not yet know about, and so much content that people I admire, consume, but neglect to share because they don’t have a platform that is focused on just that.”

Rhome allows users to keep running lists of long-form media, including books, podcasts, articles, YouTube videos, movies, TV shows, and more. Their friends are able to access those lists, and comment on them. The result is detailed lists of media from people you trust, rather than anonymous users or corporations.

Nihalani says it’s helped him learn about his friends and family just as much as it’s helped him learn about the world, and given them more to discuss with one another. “Knowing what media they recommend gives me a glimpse into the ideas and perspectives that are shaping who they are,” he said. “I get a sense of not just what they think, but also why they think it. Rhome has also made for great conversation. I've noticed many times now whether it be when meeting up with a friend or sitting at the family dinner table, our conversations have centered around the media we have found/shared on Rhome.”

And then there’s the content itself. “The best media can change your life, and I truly believe that. It changes how you think, how you behave, how you treat others, how you view the world, etc. I feel a sense of urgency in connecting people to the media that will enrich their lives,” Nihalani said.

The Rhome app can be downloaded for iOS and Android. For more information, visit rhomeapp.com.

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