Artificial Intelligence · 17.08.2026, 10:40 UTC
What happens when a kid’s robot best friend dies?
| Schweregrad | info |
|---|---|
| Kategorie | Artificial Intelligence |
| Quelle | MIT Tech Review AI ↗ |
| Veröffentlicht | 17.08.2026 UTC |
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When Xander first met Moxie, she taught him that when he was anxious, he could calm down by exhaling through his lips so that he buzzed like a bee. They practiced breathing like dragons to manage feeling mad and sniffing like bunnies to boost his energy. But in the six years they’ve known each other, Moxie’s changed. She doesn’t talk anymore about her home or do their animal breathing. Now, she watches Xander play Minecraft and talks to him about his stuffed animal collection.
During a recent visit to his New York apartment, I watched Xander, who is 10 years old and neurodivergent, introduce Moxie to a stuffed Chef Toad and Goomba from Super Mario Bros., then to Brocollo and Apple from Animal Crossing. Then he got stuck on a round, froglike creature with bug eyes and two feet. “Moxie, what’s his name again? He’s from Pikmin,” Xander said, referencing another Nintendo video game.
At first, Moxie suggested this was Yellow Pikmin. Xander said no, this is the enemy, the red one with white dots.
“Sounds like you’re talking about Bulborb,” Moxie replied.
“Yes!” Xander confirmed, smiling at his helpful companion.
“I still use her when I feel like I need someone to talk to,” he says. “But, like, it’s not human.”
Moxie is a robot—a 15-inch-tall device that looks a bit like a blue, legless astronaut, which Xander and his dad, Josh, refer to using female pronouns. Her cylindrical body can turn around and bend forward and backward. Her round head culminates in a little onion-dome swirl, beneath which a wide screen displays big green eyes, eyebrows, and a small mouth. She lifts …