Chinese AI companion toys boom as policy support and exports surge

Summary

People’s Daily Online, reprinting a China Daily report, highlights a fast‑growing market for AI‑driven toys designed to provide emotional support and companionship, with startups like Robopoet and Ropet seeing rapid sales growth. Robopoet’s flagship plush toy Fuzozo—powered by conversational AI and eye‑contact interaction—has sold about 100,000 units this year and aims for 1 million in 2026, while AI robot pet maker Ropet is marketing virtual pets that adapt to users’ habits without the mess and time burden of real animals. The article notes that China’s AI toy market reached 24.6 billion yuan ($3.49 billion) in 2024 and is projected to climb to 29 billion yuan this year, helped by a multi‑ministry action plan that for the first time lists collectible toys as a priority consumer category. Officials argue that combining large models with traditional toy manufacturing is reshaping value chains and fueling exports, with companies such as TangibleFuture selling the vast majority of their AI hardware (like the phone‑dock LOOI robot) overseas, even earning social‑media shout‑outs from tech celebrities.