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Your secrets aren’t safe with this cute robot toy — they’re on Chinese servers ready to be hacked
There's a new digital pet in town - a cute little marshmallow of a robot that can change its cartoony expressions to match your mood. But if you or your kids talk to "Eiliko" over Wi-Fi, it'll phone home to China.
By Sean Hollister 1 min read
Key points
- There's a new digital pet in town - a cute little marshmallow of a robot that can change its cartoony expressions to match your mood.
- Its AI companion can store literally everything you tell it on Chinese servers, where hackers can easily gain access or even hijack its personality.
- During a 10-minute conversation on August 30th, I asked the little bot: "Do you ever tell anybody else what I'm saying?"
The story
There's a new digital pet in town - a cute little marshmallow of a robot that can change its cartoony expressions to match your mood. But if you or your kids talk to "Eiliko" over Wi-Fi, it'll phone home to China. Its AI companion can store literally everything you tell it on Chinese servers, where hackers can easily gain access or even hijack its personality. And the company that made it, Energize Lab, doesn't seem to care.
I bought an Eiliko from Amazon on August 29th. During a 10-minute conversation on August 30th, I asked the little bot: "Do you ever tell anybody else what I'm saying?"
"Your secrets are safe with me," it replied.
With …
