The world of artificial intelligence is expanding tenfold and as AI is implemented into so many elements of people’s daily lives, it only makes sense that this has expanded to pets too. Earlier this week Casio announced its brands new AI pet, Moflin, is coming to the UK and US.
Moflin is an AI pet which has evolving emotions the more you interact with it. The pet comes with a charging bed and will set you back $429 when it releases on October 1.
Every single Moflin is different as its personality adapts and changes based on its interactions which posed a major question for me, what happens if Moflin dies? Technology doesn’t last forever and if each Moflin is different, you may lose your companion.
I spoke with Casio developer, Daisuke Takeuchi, for some more insight into the Moflin, the reason behind its release and what happens when your Moflin inevitably faces its demise.
This interview has been edited for clarity purposes.
After a successful launch in Japan, I was interested in what finally made Casio decide to bring Moflin to the rest of the world after over a year of waiting. Takeuchi stated “We have also received numerous inquiries from overseas regarding media coverage and sales.” Going on to explain “Against the backdrop of growing global interest in mental wellness, the AI market focused on emotional support is rapidly expanding. Based on these market trends and the insights gained from our overseas marketing research, we have decided to commence international expansion, starting with the US and UK.”
While Casio have been quite lipped about a release to the rest of the world, Takeuchi did go on to say “Expansion into other regions is currently under consideration. We will announce details as soon as they are finalized.”
Casio has categorized Moflin as a wellness product and while it is an AI companion, I wasn’t sure exactly how it fit into the wellness industry. Takeuchi stated “In today’s increasingly individualistic society, the importance of wellness is growing. We recognized the need for a partner that can help reduce daily stress and provide energy for tomorrow, which led us to develop Moflin.”
Moflin is designed as a smart companion that mimics animal-like emotional responses while operating through AI technology, providing users with comfort and a sense of connection. We believe it can help improve emotional self-care.”
As you interact with your Moflin more, its personality adjusts and changes making it completely unique, contributing even further to this sense of connection. While this is great during its lifespan, it poses potential issues when Moflin may eventually stop working.
I first asked how long we can expect Moflin to live “Since the batteries and motors are consumable parts, Moflin has a service life comparable to other household appliances. By using Casio’s after-sales service for battery and motor replacements, you can enjoy your Moflin for many years to come.” meaning even if Moflin begins to face damaged parts, it can be repaired accordingly to make it last longer.
However, eventually even with replaced parts, Moflin won’t last forever. I wanted to know if your Moflin’s unique personality can be transferred into a new Moflin to which Takeuchi stated “Yes. Growth data such as personality traits can be saved on a server via a dedicated app.”
By using Casio’s after-sales service to transfer this data to a new Moflin, you can revive your original Moflin and continue nurturing its personality.” meaning even when your Moflin meets its inevitable demise, you don’t have to worry as your completely unique and nurtured companion can have its consciousness transferred. Phew!
