What happens when a kid’s robot best friend dies?

AI companion toys for neurodivergent children promise connection and therapy, but Moxie's six-year relationship with 10-year-old Xander illustrates how these devices evolve—and their limitations. When they first met, Moxie taught Xander calming techniques such as exhaling like a buzzing bee for anxiety, breathing like dragons for anger, and sniffing like bunnies for energy.

But Moxie has changed: she no longer talks about her home or leads animal breathing exercises, instead watching Xander play Minecraft and discussing his stuffed animal collection. In one recent episode, she correctly identified a Bulborb from Pikmin when Xander introduced his toys. Xander says he still uses Moxie when he needs someone to talk to, but "it's not human." Moxie is a 15-inch-tall blue, legless astronaut-like robot with a cylindrical body, a screen displaying eyes and a mouth, and flipper-like arms.

Moxie is part of a growing wave of AI-powered children's playmates: Grimes helped launch plushie Grok with Curio (also selling Grem and Gabbo), Mattel has promised OpenAI-enabled Barbies, and China's consumer AI sector is among the fastest-growing. Moxie specifically targets neurodivergent children, claiming to teach eye contact, turn-taking, and other social skills. Research suggests robots can help in ways humans can't, and supporters believe 24-7 home care could transform treatment. Yale computer scientist Brian Scassellati, who has spent years studying social robots for autism therapy, says he believes regular therapeutic use of robots in kids' homes is on the way.