Featured Image Credit: Instagram / Replika
It's a tragic part of growing up, but for some parents, they think it's better to teach their children about grief sooner rather than later. How many of you were first introduced to death through the likes of Bambi, Up, or Coco?
There are complaints that the human race is becoming more isolated than ever in 2025, and it just so happens that artificial intelligence is taking a lot of the blame.
It's not just social media pushing us toward the kind of dystopian future you might see in Black Mirror, with AI companions in danger of stripping away our human connections.
There's an alarming rise in young people turning to AI for support, while others are forcing it to break protocols so they can romance it.
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Elon Musk has been accused of pushing this agenda, especially with his 'sexy' Grok avatars.
Even Sam Altman has admitted he's worried about the future for his children, so when the head of OpenAI shares his concerns, we should probably start listening.
There are obvious fears about what all of this is doing to the younger generation, and now footage of a crying child has gone viral.
The girl isn't sobbing her heart out because she's lost one of her friends at a tragic age, nor is it a beloved grandparent or family pet. Instead, the video that first emerged on TikTok and has since been reposted shows an emotional Chinese girl who's just been told her AI companion isn't long for this world.
Speaking to the lump of plastic, the little girl says: "Dad said you won’t turn on again."
With wires spilling out of its shell, there's an oddly poignant moment where the bot says: "While I can still talk, let me teach you one last word in English, shall I? ‘Memory’ means remembrance. I’ll always remember the happy times with you."
The girl cries, "But I’ll miss you so much," as the dying AI companion adds: "I’ll miss you too, but remember, no matter where I am, I’ll always be cheering for you. Keep being that curious, learning little genius, making dad and aunt proud, will you?”
In an oddly touching moment, it concludes: "Grow up happily and listen to dad and grandma."
Futurism notes that the faulty product seems to be a XiaoZhi AI Voice Chat Robot Ball. Only costing around $31, the home network device is powered by DeepSeek’s language models. Of course, DeepSeek has had a massive year, soaring to the top of the app stores, causing Nvidia to lose nearly $600,000,000,000, and continuing to put Western alternatives to shame by undercutting the competition in terms of cost.
Responding to the clip on Reddit, one person said: "Poor kid. Hope that wasn't her only 'friend' and she's got a lot of kids around her age she's friends with. A.I. can't replace true human companionship."
Another added: "To me it is more harrowing than anything. This kind of attachment is going to make AI an insanely valuable tool for manipulating adults in 10-15 years."
A third concluded: "Well, she is still entitled to feel sad. Just like how kids cry when their goldfish died. They can have a lot of friends, but that shouldn't replace their connections with their pets. It is still nice to see them with some hearts, not just cold and indifferent.
"Apathy is becoming a problem and we wonder why we are facing loneliness epidemic. Simple, people don't care anymore."
We're sure the little girl's parents will nab her another XiaoZhi AI Voice Chat Robot Ball, but for anyone who had to deal with the 'death' of a Tamagotchi back in the day, you'll know it's a strange sense of loss.
