Would you actually bond with a robot? 🤔
The team behind Roomba just launched Familiar Machines & Magic, building what they call "Consumer Physical AI." Their first prototype, a four-legged robot called a Familiar, senses your mood through touch and facial cues and follows you from room to room.
The idea clicks for some more than others. For people who can't have real pets, or an elderly person living alone where the alternative is simply nothing, designed warmth still has real value.
And yet, can you really engineer a genuine bond?
The safety case for elderly care is compelling. So is the privacy concern of adding another camera and microphone into your home.
Would you buy one? For what use?