The first companion robots began to evoke a noticeable emotional connection among users around 2017, according to an IEEE Spectrum AI report. These devices possessed personality, moved around, cracked jokes, and responded to human address.
However, early models relied primarily on simple voice commands and had a narrow set of functions. After the novelty wore off, many devices, as described in the publication, remained unused.
Users compared the closure of certain companies and the shutdown of their servers to the loss of a family pet. The material was prepared with support from Ollobot; the available package does not include the full article or independent confirmation of these observations.
editorial commentary
Why it matters
A likely consequence is that users will evaluate companion robots not only by character and functions but also by service sustainability. The next observable signal will be the emergence of data on device support after developers cease operations. Significant uncertainty remains because only a synopsis of one publication is available.