So many artificial intelligence devices try to command our attention, but when I met the Mori AI robot companion earlier this month, it was refreshing to see a device that uses AI to exert some playful restraints — even if its $849 retail price makes it a tough sell.
Mori, announced Thursday by Oka, is part glowing mushroom lamp and part Furby. The company is behind the cutesy AI gadget. And while it also looks a bit like a larger smart speaker wrapped in fabric, Mori made it very clear that it wasn’t interested in playing any of my playlists from Apple Music.
Instead, when activated, Mori jumps out of its body and uses its cameras and sensors to playfully react to you – and like a Furby, it speaks its own baby-like language. It is 10 inches tall (26.4 centimeters) and uses its sensors to help it tilt its head and move its “eyes” to follow your voice. Oka says Mori processes images and audio on the device to distinguish context, then discards them. Mori stores facial recognition data to distinguish familiar faces from unfamiliar ones, but Oka says the data isn’t uploaded either.
When I spoke directly to Mori during my demo, it felt a lot like talking to a friend’s dog: It will look and react, but also react to other things at the same time. The AI that Mori uses to understand context seemed to come into play when I commented on how adorable it looked (it cackled and got a little shy) and when I asked Oka CEO Hua Wang if Mori had a Bluetooth mode for playing music (the gadget made a sound of rejection).
Mori plays music, though his offerings are limited to meditative sounds accompanied by a glowing light show. Push its head, and it retracts into its body to play white noise-like songs while its head lights up in different colors. Mori also reacts to the music: It started cracking when I played Carly Rae Jepsen’s Don’t Leave Me on the Dance Floor.
The adorable yet subdued personality reminds me of the Furby of yesteryear, or the $599 Ultimate Grogu we saw earlier this year, but Mori’s use of AI allows it to react more contextually to its surroundings. This more docile take on a pet might appeal to someone who wants something more responsive than a talking toy that also blends in with their living room furniture.
Mori costs more than those toys: $649 for its Founder’s Edition, $799 for the next round of pre-orders and finally $849 for its Standard Edition. However, it is much more affordable than a companion robot like Sony’s $3,200 Aibo robot dog. Mori comes bundled with two years of its subscription, and after that will cost either $17 per month or $80 per year.
Oka, the company that makes Mori, calls this edition the “Artificat 01” and wants it to develop its personality as it lives with its owner. If an “Artificat 02” comes along the road, your Mori’s personality should be able to transfer to his new body.
While I think Mori is adorable, it’s worth noting that companion robots already come in many different forms, and we’ll likely see even more this January at CES 2027. Mori seems to take a gentler approach, with a look that fits right in with living room or bedroom furniture.
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