{"id":16641,"date":"2024-11-20T10:37:40","date_gmt":"2024-11-20T09:37:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/costops.com\/index.php\/2024\/11\/20\/can-a-fluffy-robot-really-replace-a-cat-or-dog-my-weird-emotional-week-with-an-ai-pet\/"},"modified":"2024-11-20T10:37:40","modified_gmt":"2024-11-20T09:37:40","slug":"can-a-fluffy-robot-really-replace-a-cat-or-dog-my-weird-emotional-week-with-an-ai-pet","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/costops.com\/index.php\/2024\/11\/20\/can-a-fluffy-robot-really-replace-a-cat-or-dog-my-weird-emotional-week-with-an-ai-pet\/","title":{"rendered":"Can a fluffy robot really replace a cat or dog? My weird, emotional week with an AI pet"},"content":{"rendered":"

Casio says Moflin can develop its own personality and build a rapport with its owner \u2013 and it doesn\u2019t need food, exercise or a litter tray. But is it essentially comforting or alienating?<\/p>\n

It looks faintly like one half of a small pair of very fluffy slippers. It squeaks and wriggles and nestles in the palm of my hand, black eyes hidden beneath a\u00a0mop of silvery-white fur. It weighs about the same as a tin of soup. It\u00a0doesn\u2019t need to be fed or walked and it doesn\u2019t use a litter tray; it\u2019s guaranteed not to leave \u201cgifts\u201d on\u00a0my doorstep. Which is just as well, because Moflin is about to become my pet.<\/p>\n

Before I am entrusted with the welfare of Japan\u2019s latest AI companion robot, I meet its developers at the Tokyo headquarters of Casio, the consumer electronics firm that launched it commercially this month, priced at 59,400 yen (about \u00a3300). \u201cMoflin\u2019s role is to build relationships with humans,\u201d says Casio\u2019s Erina Ichikawa. I have just a week to establish a rapport with mine, which I remind myself not to\u00a0leave on the train home.<\/p>\n

Continue reading…<\/a>
\nCasio says Moflin can develop its own personality and build a rapport with its owner \u2013 and it doesn\u2019t need food, exercise or a litter tray. But is it essentially comforting or alienating?
\nIt looks faintly like one half of a small pair of very fluffy slippers. It squeaks and wriggles and nestles in the palm of my hand, black eyes hidden beneath a\u00a0mop of silvery-white fur. It weighs about the same as a tin of soup. It\u00a0doesn\u2019t need to be fed or walked and it doesn\u2019t use a litter tray; it\u2019s guaranteed not to leave \u201cgifts\u201d on\u00a0my doorstep. Which is just as well, because Moflin is about to become my pet.
\nBefore I am entrusted with the welfare of Japan\u2019s latest AI companion robot, I meet its developers at the Tokyo headquarters of Casio, the consumer electronics firm that launched it commercially this month, priced at 59,400 yen (about \u00a3300). \u201cMoflin\u2019s role is to build relationships with humans,\u201d says Casio\u2019s Erina Ichikawa. I have just a week to establish a rapport with mine, which I remind myself not to\u00a0leave on the train home. Continue reading…Technology | The Guardian<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Casio says Moflin can develop its own personality and build a rapport with its owner \u2013 and it doesn\u2019t need food, exercise or a litter tray. But is it essentially comforting or alienating? It looks faintly like one half of a small pair of very fluffy slippers. It squeaks and wriggles and nestles in the …<\/p>\n

Can a fluffy robot really replace a cat or dog? My weird, emotional week with an AI pet<\/span> Read More »<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":16642,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/costops.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16641"}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/costops.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/costops.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/costops.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=16641"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/costops.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/16641\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/costops.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16642"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/costops.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=16641"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/costops.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=16641"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/costops.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=16641"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}