The former iRobot CEO and brains behind the Roomba is back with a new robotic concept, but it’s not a household appliance. Colin Angle, now CEO and co-founder of Familiar Machines & Magic, has unveiled his next venture: AI robot pets.
As reported earlier this week by The Verge, the AI robot companions known as Familiars were unveiled at The Wall Street Journal’s Future of Everything conference. A Familiar resembles a stuffed toy with a microphone, vision and audio system. It has a plush coat and stands on four legs, and it is intended for social interaction and companionship — similar to having a real-life pet.
The company’s website describes Familiars as an ideal companion for those who want a pet but can’t own one. The robots are meant to be nonjudgmental listeners, engage kids in play and respond with affection (such as nuzzling and tail wagging) based on body language, facial expressions and tone of voice.
When we reached out for comment, a Familiar Machines & Magic spokesperson told CNET that getting a Familiar “has nothing to do with replacing pets.”
“Pets and Familiars do completely different things, and households can benefit from one or both,” the spokesperson said, suggesting that those who would benefit the most from them are “people who would value an emotionally intelligent presence in the home and aren’t waiting for science fiction to show up.”
These robots are meant to appear natural and emotionally intelligent, with their own personalities and the ability to learn and adapt to the environment and the habits of the people around them, according to a statement. Familiars are aware of your patterns and will encourage you to break bad habits, such as spending too much time on your phone.
According to The Verge, Angle told the publication that Familiars also cannot lie. “By design, it will avoid giving factual advice about things that maybe it shouldn’t be giving factual advice about,” he said. Instead, it will communicate with you through nonverbal sounds and body language.
As with any AI feature or device, privacy concerns arise. According to a statement, the company plans to keep your data private by avoiding cloud-dependent AI systems. Instead, data remains on the device. The company states that it has clear data governance guardrails for its systems intended for daily use.
Although the cost for Familiars is unclear, they will be available next year, and those interested in reserving their own robotic pet can join a waitlist on the website.
This isn’t the first time sentient or human-like robots have entered the chat. Just since the end of last year, humanoids for home use debuted at CES 2026, Agility Robotics created robots for factory and warehouse use and the first lady walked out with a Figure 03 humanoid robot during the Fostering the Future Together Global Coalition Summit to promote the use of AI in classrooms.
