Key points:
- Multi-talented artist Grimes and technology startup Curio are collaborating on an AI-powered toy called Grok.
- The toy uses Open AI’s technology to hold interactive conversations with children, emulating a friend-like interaction.
- The product, designed with Grimes’ children in mind, can be preordered for $99 and will be released in the next year.
Popular artist Grimes, also known as Claire Boucher, is working on an AI-powered plush toy shaped like a rocket. This unique development is the result of a partnership between Grimes and Silicon Valley startup Curio. The AI toy, Grok, designed primarily for Grimes’s children, is poised to be the first in a series of AI-powered, interactive toys from Curio.
Notably, the toy uses Open AI’s technology, enabling it to have fully interactive, friend-like dialogues with children. Grimes, invested in the Curio, also provides the voice for the toy, enhancing the personal touch associated with it. The Chief Executive Officer of Curio, Misha Sallee, further details that the toy was indeed designed for X AE A-XII, Grimes and billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk’s first child. Since Musk is the SpaceX and Tesla Chief, Grimes’s children are frequently around rockets, which inspired the rocket-shaped design and the name ‘Grok.’
It’s important to clarify the distinction between this AI toy and Musk’s AI startup, also named Grok. Curio asserts that the AI project is completely unrelated and owns the trademark for the name.
Interested clients can preorder Grok for $99, with the AI toy set to ship out next year. It currently requires a Wi-Fi connection and is deemed as useful for parents. Parents can set up a bedtime prompt for Grok, which will drive the toy’s interaction with the child towards bedtime, or even simulate Grok falling asleep on its own.
Established earlier this year, Curio currently has four full-time employees and several contractors. The startup received early-stage investment from Grimes and other tech enthusiasts, including former GitHub CEO Nat Friedman and tech investor Daniel Gross.