{"id":224311,"date":"2026-01-06T23:08:14","date_gmt":"2026-01-06T23:08:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/224311\/"},"modified":"2026-01-06T23:08:14","modified_gmt":"2026-01-06T23:08:14","slug":"ai-moves-into-the-real-world-as-companion-robots-and-pets","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/il\/224311\/","title":{"rendered":"AI moves into the real world as companion robots and pets"},"content":{"rendered":"

Artificial intelligence doesn\u2019t always want to optimize your life or steal your job. Sometimes, AI just wants to be your friend. And while robot pets weren\u2019t the biggest stars of CES 2026, they\u2019ve become more than just noise and are signaling how AI is apparently leaving our screens and taking on a physical presence in our lives.<\/p>\n

To be clear, there\u2019s no shortage of purpose-built machines on display in Las Vegas: there\u2019s Samsung\u2019s voice-controlled refrigerator<\/a>, Bosch\u2019s Alexa Plus-powered AI barista<\/a>, and smarter robovacs like Narwal\u2019s earring-finding Flow 2<\/a> or Anker\u2019s Eufy S2<\/a>, which moonlights as an aromatherapy diffuser \u2013 all promising to automate the drudgery of daily life. Humanoid robots like LG\u2019s CLOiD<\/a> and SwitchBot\u2019s Onero H1<\/a> stole much of the spotlight, too, taking that logic a step further by promising more general-purpose helpers around the home \u2014 or the factory floor, in the case of Boston Dynamics\u2019 Atlas<\/a> \u2014 even if they remain years away from everyday use.<\/p>\n

But not every robot at CES seems that interested in having a job. Away from the big demos and flashy promises of automation, a quieter trend is taking shape: machines designed for little purpose beyond existing. And they\u2019re everywhere.<\/p>\n

If you ever get bored charging your phone, Loona\u2019s DeskMate<\/a> offers a solution: it transforms your iPhone into a cutesy companion with oversized, Pixar-like eyes that track you as you talk. It has practical features too, like Slack integration and meeting assistance, but as a selling point they feel almost incidental to the companion experience. The company says the tool is powered by AI, though it does not say how.<\/p>\n

\"Photo<\/a><\/p>\n

Puppy dog eyes\u2026 sort of. Photo: Dominic Preston \/ The Verge<\/p>\n

Speaking of Pixar, AI robotics startup Zeroth wants to sell you a real-life WALL-E companion<\/a>, or, in markets like the US where it lacks the Disney license, something close to WALL-E\u2019s weird, off-brand cousin. The robot, called W1, doesn\u2019t really do much besides follow you around, carrying small items, or snapping a few pictures. The company says<\/a> W1 is built on \u201cadvanced mobility and environmental AI,\u201d though details are vague.<\/p>\n

\"Zeroth\u2019s<\/a><\/p>\n

WALL-E\u2019s cousin? Image: Zeroth<\/p>\n

\"Zeroth\u2019s<\/a><\/p>\n

Zeroth\u2019s WALL-E is only available in China at the moment. Image: Zeroth<\/p>\n

Zeroth is also bringing a doll-sized humanoid robot, M1, to the US, an at-home companion that blends utility \u2014 reminders, childcare assistance, fall detection \u2014 with companionship, making use of Google\u2019s Gemini AI model for conversations. That combination has already secured an audience for social robots popular in parts of Asia, particularly in China and South Korea, where the robots are popular with children and the elderly<\/a>. CES 2026 suggests this concept is now being deliberately repackaged and marketed for Western homes.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

An at-home companion. Image: Zeroth<\/p>\n

Others leaned even more explicitly into emotional companionship. In other words: robot pets. There\u2019s Fuzozo<\/a>, a puffball that purrs when you pet it and can recognize its owner. Unlike many housebound AI devices, it has a cellular connection<\/a>, allowing it to be carried around with you, a hint at how ubiquitous these products might be in the future, even if it\u2019s unclear how precisely AI is being used.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a><\/p>\n

Portable puffs. Image: Robopoet<\/p>\n

Robovac company Ecovacs was also marketing a robot that resembles a Bichon Fris\u00e9. It says the emotional companion robot,<\/a> LilMilo, uses AI and \u201clifelike biometrics\u201d to recognize voices, develop a personality, and adapt to user habits. As with other products, details on the AI element inside LilMilo are generic and nondescript. It\u2019s an odd product for a company that just launched a robotic pool cleaner, and a telling sign of how companies increasingly expect us to welcome physical AI companions into our homes not for what they do, but simply for being there.<\/p>\n

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