30 US hospitals deploy “Robin the Robot” for pediatric care amid AI attachment concerns

Hospitals across the United States are deploying Robin the Robot, a therapeutic AI companion designed to behave like a seven-year-old girl to comfort pediatric patients. The cartoon-faced robot has been implemented in 30 healthcare facilities across California, New York, Massachusetts, and Indiana, offering emotional support to children during medical treatment while raising questions about AI’s role in human care.

What you should know: Robin combines AI technology with human remote operation to create personalized interactions with young patients.

• The robot is only 30% autonomous, with the remaining functionality handled by remote teleoperators from Expper Technologies, the company that built Robin
• It’s powered by proprietary CompassionateAI™ designed specifically for children and older adults
• The system collects interaction data while maintaining HIPAA compliance, according to CEO Karén Khachikyan

How it works: Robin appears as an animated face on an iPad-sized screen mounted on a cone-shaped robotic body that rolls through hospital halls.

• The robot mirrors patients’ emotions, laughing when they’re happy and showing empathy during difficult moments
• It recognizes and “remembers” patients from previous encounters, greeting them by name
• Activities include playing games like tic-tac-toe, making silly faces with digital accessories, and playing patients’ favorite songs

Patient response: Children and families have embraced Robin’s presence, with staff reporting positive reactions across facilities.

• One teenager injured in a car accident danced along when Robin played their favorite song
• A six-year-old boy’s “face lit up” when Robin remembered his name during a second visit, according to his mother Meagan Brazil-Sheehan
• “She brings joy to everyone,” said Samantha da Silva, a speech language pathologist at HealthBridge Children’s Hospital in Orange County, California

The concerns: Critics worry about potential psychological risks from AI companions that may be too accommodating and anthropomorphized.

• Therapists have warned that overly sycophantic AI interactions can worsen mental health by constantly validating feelings instead of providing guidance
• The robot’s ability to “remember” details creates what experts call a “dangerously anthropomorphized impression” of the technology
• Recent reports show some children developing unhealthy attachments to AI chatbots, leading to delusions and mental health crises

The big picture: Robin represents healthcare’s growing integration of AI for emotional support, but questions remain about long-term effectiveness and human replacement.

• Khachikyan says the robot helps “alleviate overworked nurses and medical staff who don’t always have the time to connect to patients”
• The heavy reliance on human operators raises questions about whether this is simply outsourcing human care roles to remote workers
• “Imagine a pure emotional intelligence like WALL-E. We’re trying to create that,” Khachikyan explained

What’s next: Expper Technologies plans to increase Robin’s autonomous capabilities and expand its role in healthcare delivery.

• “Our goal is to design the next evolution of Robin; that Robin will take more and more responsibilities and become even more essential part of care delivery,” Khachikyan said
• The company has been operating in the US for five years since Robin’s initial launch