AI robot for kids
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The merger of generative AI and robotics is likely to take many forms, but one of the earliest — and cutest — is a chatty, 14-inch-tall kids' companion named Moxie.
Why it matters: The AI models powering chatbots like ChatGPT open the door to a new generation of conversational robots that aren't constrained by a set of predetermined scripts and commands — a prospect both tantalizing and terrifying.
How it works: Moxie, designed for kids ages 5 to 10, offers a range of games and activities, plus open-ended conversations.
- It can tell jokes, serve up brain teasers, play games like Simon Says or "guess that animal," send kids on a scavenger hunt, pose for selfies or just talk with kids about their interests and emotions.
- A companion phone app shows parents how long their kids spent with Moxie each day and which activities they did — but not a transcript of what was said.
The fine print: Moxie's creators say video recording is used to recognize the user's face and detect emotion, but the raw videos never leave the device.
Yes, but: Recorded audio goes to the cloud for processing, and transcripts of conversations get sent back to Embodied, the company behind Moxie.
- Embodied says it takes steps to de-identify and encrypt the data, and uses most of the data in aggregate to get a sense of how kids are spending their time with Moxie.
