Xander and Moxie

When they first met, Moxie taught Xander that when he was anxious he could calm down by exhaling through his lips so that he buzzed like a bee. They practised breathing like dragons to manage feeling mad, and sniffing like bunnies to boost his energy.

Over six years Moxie changed. She no longer talks about her home or does those animal breathing exercises. During a MIT Technology Review reporter's visit to the New York apartment, Xander, who is 10 years old and neurodivergent, introduces Moxie to his stuffed animal collection: Chef Toad and Goomba from Super Mario Bros., then Brocollo and Apple from Animal Crossing.

At one point he gets stuck on a round, froglike creature with bug eyes. Moxie first suggests Yellow Pikmin; Xander says no, this is the enemy, the red one with white dots. "Sounds like you're talking about Bulborb," Moxie replies. Xander confirms, smiling at his helpful companion.

The child's own assessment keeps its distance: "I still use her when I feel like I need someone to talk to. But, like, it's not human."

What Moxie is

Moxie is a 15-inch-tall robot that looks a bit like a blue, legless astronaut. Xander and his dad, Josh, refer to her 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 and flaps her flipper-like arms for emphasis or to show excitement.

A growing sector

Moxie is just one of an increasing number of AI-powered devices marketed as interactive playmates for children. Other examples in the same space:

  • The musician Grimes helped launch an AI-powered plushie called Grok with the company Curio, which also sells similar playmates like Grem and Gabbo.
  • Mattel has promised it is creating OpenAI-enabled Barbies.
  • One report estimates that in China this sector is among the fastest growing in consumer AI.

Why it is contested

Moxie belongs to a particular subset of these toys: their makers claim they can assist neurodivergent children by providing connection and helping them practise making eye contact, taking turns and other social skills usually learned from therapists. There is research backing that claim.

The real question here is less the bond itself than its continuity. That the device's behaviour changed over six years means the friend the child knows is not the same friend. A software update, a subscription decision or a company shutting down amounts, from the child's side, to a friend changing character or disappearing. What is a product lifecycle for an adult is a relationship for a child.