Do We Want an Age of AI Robopets?
Casio, the venerable consumer electronics company, has a surprise hit: Moflins, AI-powered digital pets marketed toward adults.
One August morning, Kaarage woke up and took the train from the Japanese countryside into the city. She went to a restaurant and enjoyed a lunch of vegetables and soup, as well as an iced coffee. Afterward, she studied a musical score on her iPad, then went home to relax.
Kaarage is not a person: She’s an internet-beloved Moflin, an AI-powered robopet made by Casio—yes, Casio—who shares a charming, bucolic life with her owner in rural Japan, and I admit that I’ve lately come to enjoy following their peaceful exploits together through their regular updates on TikTok. (To be sure, Kaarage is just one of many Moflins with TikTok followings, whose videos can attract tens of thousands of views.)
Since Casio initially released Moflins last year in Japan, they’ve proven to be a surprise hit, with the company selling several million dollars’ worth of Moflins in a matter of months. Last month, Casio made them available in the U.S. too, offering the furry-haired critters on its website for $429 a pop in two colors: gold and silver.