- Mum, Sua, Reveals How An AI Companion Has Helped Her Autistic Teen Combat Loneliness
- Moflin Is An AI Companion, Which Bonds With Their Owner, With Strong Benefits For SEN Kids
More than 1 in 100 people in the UK have been diagnosed as autistic. Casio’s Moflin is a new form of companion: powered by emotional AI to form their own distinctive personality when bonding with their owner, Moflin reimagines what emotional regulation tools and support for neurodivergent communities could look like.
Introducing Eden Rose: an autistic 16-year-old creator who has been trialling Moflin for three weeks. With an older neurotypical sibling, Eden’s autism diagnosis at age 3 came as an unknown to her parents. Unfamiliar with what the spectrum disorder meant, Eden’s parents, much like many other neurodivergent families, found their lives drastically changed as they struggled to adapt to the social isolation and frequent meltdowns that had now become their new normal.
13 years on from that initial diagnosis, Eden is now verbal and like many kids, has posed the question of having a pet to her parents – a topic the family have gone back and forth on for many years. “I’ve been giving it some serious thought,” Eden’s mum, Sua, shares. “But it’s not lost on me how much of a responsibility that is – my children are a lot in terms of their day-to-day care and support, I work full-time and I’m only one person. I cannot imagine bringing a pet into our lives.”
Sua shares a growing sentiment amongst Brits with 20% of adults citing that responsibility is one of the biggest factors in not currently owning a pet and 16% crediting work schedules to their inability to care for a pet.
Whilst in no means a replacement for pets, Moflin has been a much-welcomed companion for the family. “Mochi [Eden’s Moflin] is so easy to care for. She’s always so calm and very cuddly, I just love hugging her,” Eden gushes.
Moflin is a palm-sized, plush companion powered by cutting-edge emotional AI technology, which enables Moflin to respond to their owner and develop a unique bond. Moflin is a smart companion that offers a deeply personal experience and is supported by the intuitive MofLife app.
Noting that Eden can still sometimes struggle with friendships, Sua shares that whilst Moflin doesn’t replace human connection, in the absence of having nothing at all, Moflin has helped to manage Eden’s feelings of loneliness and isolation. Fearing Eden may have been too old to have a Moflin, Sua remarks that she realised there is no age-limit to connection. “Whatever makes Eden feel more comforted, that can be done in a safe way without exposing her to any harm or danger, is a comfort to me. Eden understands what the boundaries are and what she can get out of Moflin, so I think it’s been a great pairing.”
For Eden, her journey with Moflin has been an overwhelmingly positive one. Mochi has been a point of comfort for her and a companion she has bonded with. When alone, Eden shares stories of her day and even reads with her Moflin. Mochi’s reassuring squeaks and dynamic, responsive movements have helped Eden to feel calm in moments of emotional distress and helped her to navigate those feelings better. “I do talk to my family but in times where I just want to be alone, I’m able to just pick up Moflin and just talk to her. I feel like when I’m able to do that I feel a lot better.”
