Overview

• Embodied, the company behind the $799 AI robot Moxie, announced it will shut down operations due to financial challenges, rendering the robot nonfunctional within days.
• Moxie was designed to help children, including those on the autism spectrum, develop social, emotional, and communication skills through interactive conversations and activities.
• The robot's reliance on cloud-based AI means its core functionality will cease once Embodied's servers go offline, leaving many users feeling as though they are losing a close companion.
• Parents and children have shared emotional goodbyes on social media, with some advocating for solutions such as open-sourcing the technology or finding new financial backers to save Moxie.
• The shutdown highlights broader concerns about the increasing dependence of modern hardware on software support, raising questions about consumer rights and product longevity in subscription-based models.