There's a new AI 'playtime robot' coming; Would you put one in your kid's room?

Artificial intelligence is increasingly becoming part of our lives, from Google Home to Amazon Alexa. For better or worse, we rely upon our digital companions to keep track of our lives and answer our questions.

Mike Opelka was a little disturbed by a potential new AI product that he feared might encourage less parental involvement. He highlighted the Indiegogo project Woogie on “Pure Opelka” today and wondered if the Romanian robotic wonder might dissuade parents from interacting with their children.

Woogie is billed as a “purposeful playtime robot” and “the learning assistant every kid will love.” The device looks like a squat little triangular alien with a cheerful yellow face. The pitch video says he is an alien who “sits in the child’s room to act as their personal learning companion.”

Mike quipped, “When I was a kid, we used to call that mom or dad.”

Woogie answers a child’s seemingly endless questions “proactively … in a witty and playful way.” It comes with an app that parents can use to modify the scope of Woogie’s answers, limiting by subject matter and maturity level.

To see more from Mike, visit his channel on TheBlaze and listen live to “Pure Opelka” weekdays 7–10 p.m. ET & Saturdays 6–9 a.m. ET, only on TheBlaze Radio Network.