Roomba Inventor Now Wants You to Own an AI Robot Pet

Former iRobot CEO Colin Angle unveiled Familiars, plush AI robot pets built for home companionship and social interaction.

The robots listen, respond to human cues, and learn household routines, while processing data on-device to keep things private.

Familiar Machines & Magic says Familiars are not meant to replace real pets and plans to launch them next year.

The concept points to a new consumer AI category centered on emotional connection, with privacy and trust likely to shape adoption.