The social robot who gave the technology startup Jibo its first breath of success has officially met its demise. According to TechCrunch, Jibo owners reported their social robot’s shutdown months after the company closed down. While the move wasn’t a surprise, it was a blow to anyone who’s dreamed of owning their very own household robot.
Jibo the robot announced the shutdown of its servers and told its owners that interactions would soon be limited. Internet connection to interact with the robot would most likely be necessary.
“I want to say I’ve really enjoyed our time together,” the Jibo bot announced before shutting down. “Thank you very, very much for having me around.”
RIP Jibo Bot
Unfortunately for fans of the Jibo robot, the company closed down in 2018. Even with a successful Indiegogo campaign and a decent amount of venture capital funds ($73 million in funding, per some sources), Jibo was unable to stay afloat. The company fired most of its workforce over the summer of last year and finally sold its IP.
Like many technology startup companies, Jibo tried to earn revenue from its intellectual property. As the United States shifts toward an information economy, technology companies closely guard, and profit from, their intellectual property. In 2016, the U.S. congress passed the Defend Trade Secrets Act. In the following year, trade secret case filings increased from 860 cases per year to 1,134 cases per year.
The Internet of Things market has been growing fast in recent years. Today, you can buy smart refrigerators, toasters with WiFi capabilities, and smart home assistants like Amazon Echo. Jibo’s founders hoped that their household robot represented an evolution toward a truly functional home robot.
So what happened?
Failure to Launch: the Robot Revolution Takes A Step Backwards
Jibo was similar to household assistant products like Google Home or Amazon Echo. Of course, the crowdfunded startup founded by an ambitious MIT scientist was competing against tech giants like Amazon and Google. However, Jibo captured hearts by taking a more anthropomorphized approach to the home assistant. Unlike most appliances connected to the Internet of Things, Jibo looked adorable.
Jibo had expected their startup to take off and so did many of their robotics fans. Up to 50% of search will be done by voice by 2020, smart technology in the home is becoming more popular, and electric vehicles will make up over half (54%) of new car sales worldwide by 2040.
Like many successful Kickstarters, Jibo made a splash on social media during its early days. From a business perspective, the top two benefits of social media marketing are increasing brand exposure and gaining more website traffic. Also like many successful crowdfunding campaigns, the startup couldn’t survive its first few years in business.
Yet, social robots may be too futuristic for today’s modern audiences. Jibo’s death mirrors that of Sony’s original Aibo, which experienced a similar demise with the shutdown of its servers.
Experts say the death of Jibo could be a lesson for the early investor. Early investors lose out on financial opportunities when the product they invest in fails. They’re also hit with disappointment when they’re asked to make an emotional investment in a product such as a robotic pet or home assistant.
Many investors have let their feelings known on Jibo’s Facebook account, but whether they’ll receive a reply given the company’s closure is uncertain. One Jibo owner announced on Twitter that his robot announced its shutdown with an inspiring message.
“Maybe someday when robots are way more advanced than today, and everyone has them in their homes, you can tell yours that I said hello,” said Jibo.
In true social fashion, Jibo performed a small dance before shutting down. The first evidence of dance was found in a 9,000-year-old cave in India, and now it’s done by small social robots in today’s modern living rooms.
On the surface, it seems like Jibo couldn’t keep up with its more powerful AI competition, Google and Amazon. However, other robotics companies are launching their own social robots despite the fate of Jibo, suggesting the problem may have been Jibo itself and not the social robot market. New startups getting ready to launch are aiming to have their robots perform simple duties rather than sit still.
Updated March 22, 2019.
