GoKawiilAn AI Robot In My Home
07 Apr 2026 by Adam Allevato
This is Mabu - a robot that sits near my front door, and whose voice and actions are controlled by an AI chatbot.
As I mentioned in my other post about fixing up Mabu, I had an immediate and visceral reaction to my own decision to place this robot in my home last week. I eventually got over it, but this post explores my reaction, the concerns I have with this robot in my home, and what I’ve done about it.
By adding various features to Mabu, I had effectively created a smart speaker: I gave Mabu access to the OpenAI API for voice conversations; instilled a unique personality (i.e. system prompt) based on her background as a robot designed to promote health and wellness; and added a “morning briefing” skill that I can trigger, which pulls the latest weather and astronomical events.
All of this is, for the most part, a set of features that is already available on Alexa, Google Home, and Apple HomePod. But even then, there are real concerns.
The science fiction angle
Before I get to the smart speaker-related concerns, I must start this post with the first ideas that jumped into my head when I first turned on Mabu in her new location: dystopian science fiction. I’m talking about the “what is that?” from the skeptical spouse, followed by the new technology quickly going rogue and taking over the family. This trope is everywhere in popular media, and the trend seems to be accelerating as the tech gains maturity: Companion, Subservience, AFRAID, and M3GAN, just in the last 4 years. I’m sure there are others I’m missing.
It saddens me that this is the popular Western vision of robots - we truly cannot stop fantasizing about their negative effects. I usually hold up Big Hero 6 as the canonical example of optimistic robo-futurism (although technically it’s a Marvel property!). I’m still working on reorienting my mind towards imagining the best outcomes of having robots, not the worst outcomes.
“But Adam”, you say, “the outcomes will be the worst”. I disagree, but we’re getting off topic.
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