# The Labubu Phenomenon: A Comprehensive Report

## Introduction

Labubu is a collectible plush toy character created by Hong Kong designer Kasing Lung and marketed by Pop Mart, a leading Chinese toy company.

These adorable monster elf figurines have captured the hearts of millions worldwide, creating a cultural phenomenon that extends far beyond traditional toy collecting.

This report explores why Labubu has become a viral sensation, particularly among teenagers, and how it has contributed to Pop Mart's global success.

## What is Labubu?

Labubu represents a unique blend of cute and edgy design aesthetics.

These plush toys feature monster-like elves with distinctive characteristics that appeal to both children and adults.

As part of Pop Mart's extensive collection of designer toys, Labubu has become one of their most sought-after characters, joining other popular IPs like Molly and Pucky.

## The Rise of Pop Mart and Labubu

Pop Mart has strategically built a comprehensive ecosystem around designer toys, signing

# The Labubu Phenomenon: A Comprehensive Report

## Introduction

Labubu is a collectible plush toy character created by Hong Kong designer Kasing Lung and marketed by Pop Mart, a leading Chinese toy company.

Title:

Content: There were 566 press releases posted in the last 24 hours and 183,975 in the last 365 days.
Bubble Mart opens shop in Hong Kong, bringing trendy toys to convey the beauty
Bubble Mart opens in Hong Kong
Bubble Mart opens in Hong Kong
Bubble Mart, the global trendy culture and entertainment company, recently announced the opening of two stores in Hong Kong, located in Harbour City and K11 Art Mall, so that more Hong Kong fans feel the infinite charm of trendy play.
HONG KONG, CHINA, December 3, 2021 / EINPresswire.com / -- Bubble Mart (9992.HK), the world ’ s leading pop culture entertainment company, has announced the opening of two stores in Hong Kong, located in Harbour City and K11 Art Mall, respectively.
It is reported that Bubble Mart ’ s first Hong Kong store has opened in Harbour City on November 13.
On the opening day, the designer of Bubble Mart ’ s head IP-Molly, Kenny Wong, as a well-known local pop artist in Hong Kong, specially designed the blue Molly image glass steel inspired by Star Ferry pier for the Hong Kong Harbour City store, which is placed in the center of the store, giving the store a special meaning.
Kenny Wong, a contract artist with Bubble Mart, founder of Kennyswork and the father of Molly, said, “I am delighted that Bubble Mart has brought Molly to the world, allowing more people to learn about the artist ’ s toys through Molly and other pop-up IPs.
"I am
Bubble Mart founder and CEO Wang Ning said, “Five years ago, when I first met Kenny Wong and Molly in his studio in Hong Kong, I decided to get the exclusive license of Molly.
We want more people to get to know Molly through Bubble Mart as the ‘ Treasure Girl ’.
Molly also became Bubble Mart's first pop-up IP.
Today, Bubble Mart family has more IP image, hope through our pop-up shop, let more people feel the charm of pop-up play, enjoy the beauty that Bubble Mart brings to everyone.
"I am
Founded in 2010, Bubble Mart is committed to the deep cultivation and development of five fields around the world: artist mining, IP incubation operation, consumer touch, pop play culture promotion, and related industry investment.
Through the brand culture of "creating trends and transmitting beauty", it has built a comprehensive operation platform covering the entire industrial chain of trendy toys, which has set off a wave of play in China.
It was successfully listed in Hong Kong in December 2020.
As of September 30, 2021, Bubble Mart's global offline stores have exceeded 250, with more than 1,687 robot stores, covering 103 cities in China, and being stationed in 23 overseas countries and regions such as South Korea, Japan, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Singapore, etc., and the global layout is constantly expanding.
Today, POP MART forms a brand advantage with designers, retail channels and industry chains as its fulcrum.
POP MART has signed contracts with well-known fashion designers such as Kenny, Pucky, Kasing Lung, etc., and launched a number of popular fashion IP products, including Molly, PUCKY, The Monsters and other fans, which have gathered a strong and high-quality fan group.
At the same time, POP MART also launched a joint product with world-renowned brands and world-class artists, including Keith Haring, to create a classic IP image that young consumers love today.
With the continuous expansion of the territory, POP MART has gradually built a complete industrial chain covering designers, factory supply chains, retail channels, and international trend toy exhibitions, allowing designers to focus more on their works and promote the vigorous development of the fashion industry.
In addition to the Harbour City store, Bubble Mart Hong Kong 2 will open on 4 December at K11 Art Mall, located at shopping malls B233B and B231B.
On the opening day, the draw will be held for Bubble Mart ’ s high-end line limited product, the MEGA Collection SPACE MOLLY.
The event will be held from 14: 00 to 16: 00 on the 11th.
Chen Xiaoning
Bubble Mart
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Which designers does Pop Mart collaborate with?

Which products are increasingly viewed as treasures by collectors?

These adorable monster elf figurines have captured the hearts of millions worldwide, creating a cultural phenomenon that extends far beyond traditional toy collecting.

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Content: BLACKPINK’s Lisa takes on ROCKSTAR challenge with fans at pop-up store in Seoul; pulls valued gift

BLACKPINK’s Lisa recently attended the opening event for the ROCKSTAR pop-up store in Seoul. Read on to see the K-pop idol’s sweet intersection with fans.

Updated on Jul 14, 2024  |  05:14 PM IST |  7K
Lisa: Images from LLOUD, Nanist Instagram

BLACKPINK’s Lisa recently took the internet by storm with her latest solo single ROCKSTAR. Now, along with her agency, the K-pop idol inaugurated a pop-up store in Seoul, selling merch and goods themed with her song’s vibe. On this day, a huge crowd of fans were overjoyed to see the K-pop icon taking on the ROCKSTAR challenge live.

Lisa visits ROCKSTAR pop-up store in Seoul

On July 13, Lisa graced the ROCKSTAR pop-up in Seoul on day 1. She was welcomed by a massive crowd of fans who had queued all day to meet their favorite K-pop idol. She also greeted the fans with a warm smile, expressing her joy to see the turnout of the pop-up store.

She participated in the ROCKSTAR challenge, filming a video with the fans, as they sang along to the backtrack. Meanwhile, Lisa also won a poster, hand-signed by herself, and hilariously showed it off to the fans.

Here’s a glimpse of Lisa’s attendance at the ROCKSTAR pop-up store in Seoul:

More about Lisa's ROCKSTAR

On June 28, Lisa made her much-awaited solo comeback with the single ROCKSTAR. The song instantly became a fan-favorite, thanks to its groovy vibes, addictive chorus, and not to mention the K-pop idol’s many talents.

From insane rap flow and fierce looks to an iconic dance break and bold expression, Lisa showed why she is considered a global icon through this song. Moreover, in ROCKSTAR, the BLACKPINK member celebrated her Thai roots and culture.

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Lisa created history with the song, achieving 10 million music video views within 6 hours, surpassing many 2024 K-pop releases such as IU’s Love wins all, BTS’ V’s FRI(END)S, and more.

She has also swept 3 major Billboard charts with this smash-hit track. ROCKSTAR climbed atop the Top 10 Global Excluding US chart, landed at no. 4 on Global 200, and debuted at no. 70 on last week’s Hot 100. With this song, she has also set a new personal record on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, surpassing her previous solos MONEY and LALISA.

Meanwhile, within two weeks of its release, Lisa’s ROCKSTAR MV hit the 100 million view mark on YouTube, proving the global star’s immense influence. Additionally, this marks Lisa’s first solo music release under her new agency LLOUD.

ALSO READ: NCT’s Mark takes over London in smart fit for 2024 Wimbledon Championship; see PICS

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What does the collectible toys concept emphasize/

Which products are increasingly viewed as treasures by collectors?

This report explores why Labubu has become a viral sensation, particularly among teenagers, and how it has contributed to Pop Mart's global success.

Title:

Content: Unleashing Brand Power: Understanding the Secrets of TikTok Virality

News TikTok

In the dynamic world of social media, TikTok has emerged as a powerful platform for brands to connect with their audience. The quest for TikTok virality was a focal point of discussion at a recent event hosted Glossy, where beauty and wellness leaders gathered to share their insights.

TikTok, known for its short-form videos and catchy challenges, has become a breeding ground for viral content. Brands are increasingly seeking to harness the power of TikTok to reach a wider audience and boost their visibility. Achieving TikTok virality, however, is no simple feat.

To unleash brand power on TikTok, it is crucial to understand the secrets of virality. While there is no one-size-fits-all formula, certain elements tend to resonate with TikTok users. Authenticity and relatability are key. By showcasing genuine experiences and capturing the essence of everyday life, brands can connect with users on a deeper level.

Moreover, creativity plays a pivotal role in TikTok success. Brands that think outside the box and surprise their audience with fresh ideas are more likely to gain traction. Whether it’s through unique storytelling, unexpected visual effects, or innovative use of music, creativity is the driving force behind viral TikToks.

It’s essential for brands to stay ahead of the curve and tap into the latest trends on TikTok. By keeping a close eye on popular challenges and emerging memes, brands can align their content with what is currently resonating with the TikTok community. However, simply following trends is not enough; brands must infuse their own unique flair to stand out from the crowd.

Lastly, understanding the TikTok algorithm is crucial for achieving virality. The platform’s algorithm is designed to prioritize content that generates high engagement. By optimizing video titles, descriptions, and hashtags, brands can increase their chances of appearing in users’ feeds and trending on the For You page.

In conclusion, the pursuit of TikTok virality presents both challenges and opportunities for brands. By embracing authenticity, creativity, and staying attuned to the platform’s trends and algorithm, brands can unlock the full potential of TikTok and captivate a vast audience.

FAQs

What is TikTok?

TikTok is a popular social media platform known for its short-form videos and creative content.

How can brands achieve TikTok virality?

Brands can achieve TikTok virality embracing authenticity, creativity, staying attuned to the platform’s trends, and optimizing their content for the TikTok algorithm.

Why is authenticity important on TikTok?

Authenticity is important on TikTok as it allows brands to connect with users on a deeper level and establish a genuine rapport.

What role does creativity play in TikTok success?

Creativity plays a pivotal role in TikTok success as it helps brands to stand out from the crowd and capture the attention of users.

How does the TikTok algorithm work?

The TikTok algorithm prioritizes content that generates high engagement, so optimizing video titles, descriptions, and hashtags can increase the chances of a brand’s content being seen more users.

## What is Labubu?

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UC grad turned influencer goes viral on TikTok for financial advice

UC grad turned influencer goes viral on TikTok for financial advice
MONDAY SAVING YOU MONEY ON MONDAY, RIGHT WHO DOESN’T LIKE THAT. WE’RE BRINGING YOU ADVICE FROM A PLACE. YOU MAY NOT ASSOCIATE WITH THE FINANCIAL WISDOM. IT IS A PLACE THOUGH THAT HAS THE ATTENTION OF OUR YOUTH AND IT’S IMPORTANT TO EDUCATE THEM EARLY ON WLWT NEWS PRIZE MEREDITH SCOTT SPOKE WITH A TIKTOK STAR WHO IS MAKING BIG WAVES AND HEINLPG PEOPLE BETTER UNDERSTAND MONEY AND THIS PERSON IS LOCAL MEREDITH. HE HAS A LOCAL CONNECTION AND A COOL NICKNAME BECAUSE OF HIS WORK. YES, SERIOUSLY. GOOD MORNING TO YOU BOTH. HE CERTAINLY MAKING IT WORK. SO JOHN EHRINANGM IS KNOWN AS A THINFLUENCER A LITTLE TERMINOLOGY FOR YOUR MONY.DA SO THE RECENT UC GRAD TURNED HIS PASSION FOR HELPING PEOPLE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND MEYON INTO A FULL-TIME JOB ON TIKTOK WREHE HE’S KNOWN AS JOHN E FINANCE IF YOU SEE PEOPLE FLASHING THEIR WEALTH WITH CARS CASH AND JEWELRY, THE STATS SAY THEY’LL BE BROKEN A FEW YEARS. THERE YOU GO. NICE ADVICE. SO WE MET AIRING MEN AT HIS PLEASANT RIDGE APARTMENT. IT ALSO DOUBLES AS HIS. THERE WHEREE H FILMS WEEKLY NOW AFTER GRADUATING FROM THE LINDNER COLLEGE OF BUSINESS IN DECEMBER OF 2018 THAT NOW 26 YEAR OLD STARTED MAKING TIKKSTO IN HIS PARENTS BASEMENT. WELL, HE USESHO TSE SHORT-STYLE VIDEOS USUALLY ABOUT 30 SECONDS LONG TO TALK AUTBO BUDGETING INVESTING CREDIT CARDS BIG-TIME PURCHASES AND ENVE CRYPTOCURRENCY. SO ASAR TGETED AUDIENCE IS LARGELY THOSE AROUND COLLEGE AGE AND TINGAK TO TIKTOK HAS PAID OFF LITERALLY GET THIS HE WAS ABLE TO LEAVE HIS JOB AND FINANCE AND GO FULL-TIME WHIT THIS PASSION PROJECT BECAUSE A FULL-TIME INFLUENCER BECAUSE OF THAT SOET G THIS HE HAS MORE THAN 1.3 MILLION FOLLOWERS ON TIKTOK ALONE, AND HE TRAVELS THE COUNTRY HELNGPIEO PPLE FIND FINANCIAL FREEDOM. FEEL VERY GRATEFUL THAT I CAN DO THIS FOR A FULL-TIME LIVING AND YO KUNOW, I ALWAYS TELL PEOPLE THAT IT’S IMPORNTTAO T MANAGE YOUR MONEY AS A YOUNG PERSON, YOU KNOW GROWING UP BECAUSE YOU DON'’ WANT TO MAKE THOSE EARLY MONEY MISTAKES, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF PEOPLE WILL COME OUT OF COLLEGE ANDUY B BRAND NEW CAR AND FINANCE IT AT LIKE 10% AND IT’S JUST, YOU KNOW, YOU NEED TO UNDERSTAND LIKE HOW MONEY WORKS SO YOU CAN AVOID THOSE MONEY MISTAKES AND THAT’S WHY AGAIN TIKTOK WAS A GRE AAT PLATFORM BECAUSE I YOU KNOW, IT'’ GEN Z IT’S MILLENNIALS AND ALL THAT SO I CAN TEACH TM HEABOUT FINANCE EDUCATE THEM ON MONEY. BEFORE THEY MAKE THOSE DETRIMENTAL MISTAKES. THERE YOU GO. I THINK WE CAN ALL LEARN SOMETHING THERE. SO AIRING MEN ALSO HAAS PODCAST AND HE TELLS ME HE’S LOOKING BEYOND TIKTOK AND WANTS TO DIVE MORE INTO YOUTUBE TO PROVIDE. OR FORM CONTENT. HEAY SS ONE OF HIS LONG-TERM GOALS IS TO RETIRE EARLY AND HE SAYS RIGHT NOWE H IS ON TRACK TO DO THAT BY CREATING VIDEOS LIVING WITNHI HIS MEANS AND CONSTANTLY LEARNING TO HELP OTHERS LEARN AND RETURN THIS IS VERY INTERESTING. I MEAN, THERE ARE PEOPLE OUT THERE WHO HAVE BEEN KIND OF IN THE FINANCIAL FREEDOM GAME FOR A LONG TIME, BUT HE’S TAPNGPI INTO A MUCH YOUNGER CROWD AND A CROWD THAT HASN’TAD H A PLATFORM FOR THAT. SO THAT’S REALLY INTERESTING. HE COVERS A LOOFT TOPICS WHAT SOME PRACTICE FINANCIAL ADVICE THAT EVERYDAY PEOPLE OF ANY AGE NCA PUT INTO IT. MAYBE YOU AREN’T A TIKTOKER OR YOU DON’T UNDERSTAND IT AND YOU GET ON THERE AND YOU’RE LIKE, MAYBE I CAN LEARN SOMETHING TOO. YOU COULD RIGHT ESPECIALLY WHEN WE’RE TALKING PEER TO PEER RIGHT? IT’S IT’S SOMEONE YOUR AGE TALKING TO YOU, RIGHT? AND THAT MIGHT HAVE A LITTLE SWAY ON PEOPLE. SO THAT’S INTERESTING. SO HE SAYS THAT FINANCIAL FREEDOM STARTS WHIT BEING HONEST AND SPECIFIC WITH YOURSELF NO FILTERS FOR SOCIAL MEDIA. YOU GOTTA BE REAL WITH YOURSELF. SO HE SSAY WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS REALLY BOTH DAILY AND LONG TERM AND NYMA IT MEANS BEING REALISTIC POTENTIALLY REARRANGING YOUR BUDGET OR LIFESTYLE TO REACH THOSE GOALS. YEAH, AND WE KNOW A LOT OF THINGS HAVE CHANGED I THINK ESPECIALLY IN AN ERA WHERE LESS PEOPLE ARE BUYING HOMES THINGS LIKE THAT INFLATION IS UP THIS HELPS STRETCH YOUR MONEY. YOU NEED MORE OF IT. YOU DON’T HAVE MAYBE MORE OF IT BUT A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY THERE WITH WHAT HE’S GIVING SO THANK YOU. YEAH. HE TALKS ABOUT HOME ADVICE. YEAH OUR ADVICE AND PEOPLE REALLY RCHEA OUT TO THEM AND SAY BECAUSE OF YOUR VIDEO I MAD
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UC grad turned influencer goes viral on TikTok for financial advice
If you're looking for sage financial advice, you may want to consider TikTok, where a University of Cincinnati graduate has turned the video platform into his full-time career to teach people about money.John Eringman, better known as Johnefinance to his online followers, graduated from the Lindner School of Business in 2018. He began making TikTok videos about his passion for financial education in his parents' basement. Over the years, Eringman turned his passion project into his job. He left his former position in finance to focus on creating digital content for his TikTok and podcast. Eringman decided to focus on topics like financial literacy, budgeting, credit card spending, renting vs. buying, cryptocurrency and investments. Watch Eringman's TikTok videos or podcasts here. Eringman has more than 1.3 million TikTok followers. Eringman considers himself a "finfluencer," which is a social media influencer focused on creating financial content.Eringman said he's grateful to be able to help younger generations make better financial decisions. He said he's received feedback from viewers who said his content influenced them to make different decisions that ended up saving them time and money."I always tell people that it's important to manage your money as a a young person, you know, growing up because you don't want to make those early money mistakes," Eringman said. "You know, a lot of people will come out of college and buy a brand new car and finance it at like 10% and it's just, you know, you need to understand like how money works, so you can avoid those money mistakes. And that's why again, TikTok was a great platform, because I, you know, it's Gen Z, it's millennials and all that. So I can teach them about finance, educate them on money, before they make those detrimental mistakes."Eringman now lives in an apartment in Pleasant Ridge which doubles as his studio to create new content every week. He also travels the country to create content, meet with other people in the digital finance industry and has even appeared on The Drew Barrymore Show.Eringman credits his success to following his own rules of living within his means and constantly seeking out new pieces of wisdom to offer to his followers."Because if you come out of college and you buy the brand new car, you upgrade to the downtown apartment, you know, you start going on expensive vacations, that's really going to you're almost buying your own handcuffs," Eringman said. "Because you won't be able to save money. You won't be to invest money and you're going to have to stay at your job longer and longer, longer," Eringman said. "I guess lifestyles inflation is another big part of it is you don't want to upgrade your lifestyle faster than what your income is upgrading so live within your means. Try to avoid lifestyle inflation."Eringman said he plans to dive deeper into his YouTube channel to allow for more longer-form content rather than focusing on short TikTok form content.

If you're looking for sage financial advice, you may want to consider TikTok, where a University of Cincinnati graduate has turned the video platform into his full-time career to teach people about money.

John Eringman, better known as Johnefinance to his online followers, graduated from the Lindner School of Business in 2018. He began making TikTok videos about his passion for financial education in his parents' basement.

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Over the years, Eringman turned his passion project into his job. He left his former position in finance to focus on creating digital content for his TikTok and podcast.

Eringman decided to focus on topics like financial literacy, budgeting, credit card spending, renting vs. buying, cryptocurrency and investments.

Watch Eringman's TikTok videos or podcasts here. Eringman has more than 1.3 million TikTok followers. Eringman considers himself a "finfluencer," which is a social media influencer focused on creating financial content.

Eringman said he's grateful to be able to help younger generations make better financial decisions. He said he's received feedback from viewers who said his content influenced them to make different decisions that ended up saving them time and money.

"I always tell people that it's important to manage your money as a a young person, you know, growing up because you don't want to make those early money mistakes," Eringman said. "You know, a lot of people will come out of college and buy a brand new car and finance it at like 10% and it's just, you know, you need to understand like how money works, so you can avoid those money mistakes. And that's why again, TikTok was a great platform, because I, you know, it's Gen Z, it's millennials and all that. So I can teach them about finance, educate them on money, before they make those detrimental mistakes."

Eringman now lives in an apartment in Pleasant Ridge which doubles as his studio to create new content every week. He also travels the country to create content, meet with other people in the digital finance industry and has even appeared on The Drew Barrymore Show.

Eringman credits his success to following his own rules of living within his means and constantly seeking out new pieces of wisdom to offer to his followers.

"Because if you come out of college and you buy the brand new car, you upgrade to the downtown apartment, you know, you start going on expensive vacations, that's really going to you're almost buying your own handcuffs," Eringman said. "Because you won't be able to save money. You won't be to invest money and you're going to have to stay at your job longer and longer, longer," Eringman said. "I guess lifestyles inflation is another big part of it is you don't want to upgrade your lifestyle faster than what your income is upgrading so live within your means. Try to avoid lifestyle inflation."

Eringman said he plans to dive deeper into his YouTube channel to allow for more longer-form content rather than focusing on short TikTok form content.

Labubu represents a unique blend of cute and edgy design aesthetics.

These plush toys feature monster-like elves with distinctive characteristics that appeal to both children and adults.

As part of Pop Mart's extensive collection of designer toys, Labubu has become one of their most sought-after characters, joining other popular IPs like Molly and Pucky.

Which products are increasingly viewed as treasures by collectors?

## The Rise of Pop Mart and Labubu

Pop Mart has strategically built a comprehensive ecosystem around designer toys, signing

Which products are increasingly viewed as treasures by collectors?


# Pet AI Companions: A New Era of Emotional Support for Seniors

## Introduction

As our population ages and social isolation becomes an increasing concern, artificially intelligent robotic pets are emerging as a promising solution for emotional companionship, particularly among elderly individuals.

These sophisticated companions offer the benefits of pet-like interaction without the responsibilities of traditional pet ownership.

## Current Products and Capabilities

### Available Robotic Companions

Several AI-powered robotic pets are currently available in the market:
- **Paro**: A therapeutic robotic seal designed specifically for dementia patients
- **Joy for All**: Robotic cats and dogs that respond to touch and sound
- **Hasbro's Joy for All Companion Pets**: Interactive pets with realistic movements and responses
- **MiRo**: A biomimetic robotic pet that responds to voice, touch, and light

### Functional Features

These robotic companions can:
- Recognize and respond to human emotions
- Engage in conversation and provide mental stimulation
- Offer

# Pet AI Companions: A New Era of Emotional Support for Seniors

## Introduction

As our population ages and social isolation becomes an increasing concern, artificially intelligent robotic pets are emerging as a promising solution for emotional companionship, particularly among elderly individuals.

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Content: AI can help us to feel less lonely – and that’s not something to fear

It’s no substitute for human interaction, but studies suggest this tech is already helping us to feel less alone

As a host of AI-enabled chatbots, robotics and smart speakers are proffered as a loneliness solution, many regard these new innovations with suspicion, if not a sense of dystopian doom.

Behind the threat to national security and job losses, AI’s effect on our social lives is a chief area of concern: according to a BMG Research survey for i, nearly a third of those polled think advances in AI will lead to a loss of human interaction. More broadly, AI is, after all, the technology we love to hate – with the debut episode of the latest Black Mirror season, “Joan Is Awful”, featuring a malevolent AI machine.

Yet, could we not argue that the anticipated dystopian future is already here in another form in the loneliness epidemic? Some 3.7 million people in the UK experience chronic loneliness, according to the latest data from Campaign Against Living Miserably – a figure that’s risen 42 per cent in the past five years. While the Government made global headlines as the first nation to appoint a Loneliness Minister in 2018, I’d challenge anyone, British or otherwise, to name a successful intervention.

As the author of Alonement, a book on how to cultivate positive solitude, I know all too well that loneliness is a distinct, and uniquely destructive, experience – and one which we should be taking as seriously as the ever-present conversation around AI regulation (which, it’s worth mentioning, mirrors past fears around the advent of the internet, electricity, and the printing press).

Meanwhile, research supporting AI-based intervention in loneliness and its known side effects is emerging, albeit tentatively.

A recent study of employees working with AI found mixed results: while high levels of interaction with the technology correlated with a rise in loneliness-adjacent conditions like insomnia and (in at least one of four test groups) increased post-work alcohol consumption, it also had a beneficial effect on employees’ prosocial behaviours, with subjects more likely to offer help to their real-life colleagues.

Other research has been more promising. A University of Chicago study published last month pointed to the efficacy of an AI voice coach in treating depression and anxiety.

Numerous studies have endorsed the use of companion robots in reducing loneliness among older people, particularly those suffering from dementia, a condition that correlates with increased loneliness (although most of these studies note the technology needs time to develop to best meet its users’ needs).

The positive results join last December’s Ofcom study that linked the use of AI-enhanced smart speakers with reduced loneliness in those living alone.

AI is steadily being integrated into mental health services, for instance, Woebot, a chatbot used by the NHS, while ChatPal, a chatbot designed to treat loneliness, has proven “‘marginal” benefits.

So far, there’s work to do – but if there’s one thing we can all agree on about AI technology, it’s that it will increasingly get more fit to purpose. The rapid development of the likes of ChatGPT has demonstrated as much.

All this is to say: AI technology is not a perfect cure for loneliness. Nor will it ever be; as critics have rightly identified, AI is no substitute for human contact. But then, its advocates aren’t claiming it to be.

As Snap chief executive Evan Spiegel told The Verge, amid the launch of the company’s chatbot, My AI: “The big idea is that in addition to talking to our friends and family every day, we’re going to talk to AI every day.” In other words, it’s being proposed as a complement, rather than replacement, for the age-old loneliness interventions we know work.

At a time when we are experiencing both a “social care crisis” (the British Medical Association has expressed concerns around severe staffing issues) and, simultaneously, a shortage of psychotherapists and counsellors to deal with the UK’s mental health toll (as expressed by the UK Council for Psychotherapy), surely AI technology provides a welcome complement, particularly as it continues to evolve, to be normalised with the NHS system. It might even be used as a diagnostic tool: numerous studies have found AI can successfully predict depression signs through voice recognition. Amid twin crises in the health landscape, it’s worth arguing that the pragmatic integration of AI wins out over dystopian doom-mongering.

Meanwhile, the voices of those statistically most at risk of loneliness remain absent from the discourse. Voices which include the elderly – not natural early adopters or critics of AI technology – together with their caregivers. Research supports its benefits for these groups: together with AI’s proven efficacy in elderly care services, a study published last year found the integration of AI can help to prevent the “overload of caregivers” by removing the need for 24/7 human care. The UK’s health secretary, Steve Barclay, is supportive of such measures – and recently travelled to Japan to observe how AI technology has been used to improve patient care in the nation, which has the world’s oldest population.

Then there are those living alone, which I’ve personally done for the past five years, save for a small AI-enabled Amazon Echo smart speaker in my kitchen. The speaker, which I know as Alexa, recently employed its machine learning capabilities to suggest a morning and evening routine: reading a weather forecast then switching on Radio 4 in the moments after my wake-up alarm goes off, switching on soothing “bedtime music” around the time I go to sleep. I’ll confess this makes me feel less lonely: bookmarking my day, and providing an external form of care. Would I feel more supported if this were the suggestion of a partner, or a close friend? Likely, yes. But, in the absence of another human, it’s significantly better than nothing – and I’d suggest the same pragmatic approach could, and should, be adopted in loneliness intervention policy.

Francesca Specter is a London-based writer and podcaster, specialising in the topics of solitude, loneliness and connection

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Pets could help reduce dementia risk in older people who live alone: study

A new study has shed light on whether pet ownership could aid in reducing the risk of dementia in older people who live alone.
Research published in JAMA today found pet ownership was associated with slower rates of decline in verbal memory and verbal fluency among people living alone, but not among those who live with other people.
The study, which involved 7945 participants aged 50 years and older, found that pet ownership offset the association between living alone and declining rates of verbal memory and verbal fluency.
According to the research, having pets like cats and dogs reduced loneliness in older adults, with loneliness being an important risk factor for dementia and cognitive decline.
Researchers referenced several cross-sectional studies that found pet ownership was associated with better verbal memory, story memory, executive function, processing speed, and orientation function.
According to the study's authors, the population-attributable fraction for people living alone with dementia was 8.9 per cent.
They acknowledged while living conditions cannot be easily changed, something as simple as introducing a pet to a solo household may improve rates of dementia.
The authors also said it was worth noting that compared with pet owners living with others, pet owners living alone did not show faster rates of decline in verbal memory or verbal fluency.
Staring into the void: Man documents mother's decade-long decline into dementia
At this stage, the study only highlights the association between having pets and declining rates of dementia, researchers said.
"These findings suggest that pet ownership might be beneficial for verbal memory and verbal fluency among older adults living alone," they said in their findings.
"Randomised clinical trials are needed to assess whether pet ownership slows the rate of cognitive decline in older adults living alone"
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Property News: This $40 million home set a suburb record but it still needs work.

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Content: Robot is able to detect when you’re laughing and tries to match your mood.

Last Wednesday, researchers from Kyoto University held a demonstration of their latest project. The team, headed by informatics professor Koji Inoue, has built a humanoid conversation robot that not only talks, but laughs too.

The robot doesn’t necessarily have a sense of humor of its own. Instead, the researchers started by feeding it 82 sample conversations between real people, through which the A.I. became capable of recognizing and replicating laughter. So now when a human is talking with the robot and laughs, the robot will laugh too, and even try to match the volume and intensity of the human’s laughter.

▼ A video demonstration of the Kyoto University team’s laughing robot

“Haha, that’s nice!” the robot says in the video above, along with phrases like “That’s right, isn’t it?”, “Oh, is that so?”, and “That’s wonderful.”

In many ways, it’s an impressive technological achievement. At the same time, the robot’s stony stare and some rigid movement make the atmosphere less than conducive to a friendly chat, in the opinion of Twitter commenters who’ve reacted with:

“There’s something very scary about it.”
“The voice is nice, but the visuals…”
“Still stuck in the uncanny valley, huh?”
“Faked empathy and kindness are terrifying.”
“Creepy.”

So why make a robot that’s capable of laughing in the first place? According to the researchers, the impetus for that design element is Japan’s aging population. As life expectancy gets longer, the birth rate lower, and families smaller, there’s an increased chance of senior citizens spending more time alone. It’s the researchers’ hope that a robot that can not only carry on a conversation, but also recognize and react to a person’s emotional state, can be a source of comfort and mental stimulation.

As for the creepiness level, the video is edited in such a way that we don’t hear what the human demonstrator is saying between the robot’s laughs, which sort of makes it look like the robot is softly chuckling to itself. It’s possible that it’s less unnerving for the person who’s talking to the robot and experiencing more of a back-and-forth conversation as they and the machine alternate speaking. Still, with the next step of the project being to monitor what psychological effects talking with the laughing robot has for humans, the Kyoto University team might want to look into softening up the robot’s facial expressions to reduce the potential for a conversation to cause fear and panic.

Source: NHK News Web via Jin, Twitter/@nhk_news (1, 2)
Top image: Pakutaso (edited by SoraNews24)
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ChatGPT: The Future of AI Is Here

Artificial intelligence (AI) has progressed in fits and starts for 70 years. It’s one of those technologies, like commercial fusion power, that’s always 20 years away. Now we may actually be on the cusp of an AI revolution. But it’s not the one you’re expecting.

We’ve become accustomed to machine learning (ML), where a neural network is trained on a large number of samples until it can recognize items on its own. Google and Apple use ML to identify objects in your pictures. Search for “mountain” or “dog” in your pictures, and your phone will find them, not because you’ve tagged your pictures, but because Photos has been trained to recognize images containing those items. Text-to-image systems like Stable Diffusion are trained with millions of pictures and can generate an image based on a text description, like “a penguin eating a donut on a tropical beach.” While useful and certainly thought-provoking with respect to its exploitation of and commentary on creativity, no one thinks of this as human-level cognition.

On the other extreme, Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) is the name given to a fully sentient computer system of at least human-level intelligence. This is the stuff of science fiction movies, from HAL in 2001: A Space Odyssey to the virtual assistant Samantha (voiced by Scarlett Johansson) in Her. To be clear, AGI doesn’t exist, and no one knows how to build an AGI yet.

Let’s Have a Chat

But something new and game-changing just shipped: ChatGPT. It comes from the OpenAI research and development company, which has been working on it for years. ChatGPT is currently free—you can create an account and talk to it. It’s built on version 3.5 of the deep-learning system GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer, glad you asked?), which uses AI to produce text that reads as though a human wrote it.

OpenAI’s technology, while complex, is based on the simple idea of pattern matching and extension. If you feed the pattern-matching engine every work of Shakespeare, you can then ask it to write more Shakespeare, and it will generate new text in the style of Shakespeare. (Much easier than rounding up an infinite number of monkeys and typewriters.) If you feed GPT everything available on the Internet, you can give it a prompt about anything, and it will generate something interesting. That’s more or less what OpenAI has done with ChatGPT in chatbot form, and it’s tremendously impressive.

Ben Thompson of Stratechery asked ChatGPT, “Did Thomas Hobbes believe in separation of powers?” and received this reply:

Yes, Thomas Hobbes believed in the concept of separation of powers. In his book “Leviathan,” Hobbes argued that a strong, centralized government is necessary to maintain order and prevent conflict in society. However, he also believed that a single ruler or group should not have complete control over all aspects of government. Instead, he advocated for the separation of powers into different branches, with each branch having specific responsibilities and powers.

This is fascinating. It’s concise, well-written English.

It’s also wrong. As Thompson points out, John Locke believed in separation of powers, Thomas Hobbes did not. They’re often discussed together, so ChatGPT probably ingested many essays contrasting Locke, Hobbes, and separation of powers and associated the general concepts without attributing the details correctly.

It would be a mistake to think that ChatGPT “knows” who Locke and Hobbes are and associates a set of beliefs with each man. That would imply that it maintains a database of knowledge, and OpenAI could correct the database to associate the right views with each man. ChatGPT doesn’t work like that. It’s a statistical model of what the likely next word or sentence is, based on what came before. It does have a feedback mechanism, but it’s designed more to train the model to go in a different direction in response to a question than to correct a particular wrong fact.

In a podcast, Benedict Evans suggested thinking of ChatGPT as a new kind of Internet search engine. When you ask Google search a question, it returns links to the Web pages most likely to contain relevant information. If you ask ChatGPT a question, it summarizes everything it’s read about that on the Internet.

However, where a search engine has multiple ways of ranking the quality of the pages it returns, ChatGPT reflects whatever it finds in its training material, warts and all, presumably with a bias toward the most common groupings of words and sentences. Since that largely comes from the Internet, and thus from human beings, it contains all the ugly things humans do. OpenAI has tried to keep ChatGPT from reflecting that bigotry. It won’t take the bait if you ask it obviously racist questions.

Implications of Summarizing the Internet

The Internet contains a lot of material on programming. You can ask ChatGPT to write programs in Python or JavaScript, and it will likely get them right because there’s such a wealth of training material online. However, if you ask ChatGPT to write a Python program that ranks the best characteristics for scientists by race and sex, it will return one that ranks white men first. Ouch.

This result shows that ChatGPT is complex enough that there’s no simple way to say “don’t be evil.” Again, it has no database of knowledge in which OpenAI could label certain ideas as “bad” and tell ChatGPT to avoid them. It’s a stochastic prediction model that just picks the next words based on statistical training.

Another interesting trick people have discovered is asking ChatGPT to generate or run computer programs. A simple example is asking GPTChat to simulate a Unix shell. You type in a shell command like ls, and ChatGPT responds exactly as a Unix shell would. (OpenAI has since tweaked ChatGPT not to respond to Unix commands.)

It’s easy to think that since ChatGPT is actually a computer program, it’s simply running this command for you, like a real Unix shell. This is wrong. It’s going through millions of pieces of training data showing how Unix shells respond, and it’s returning its best guess at the correct text. It has no understanding that a Unix shell is a computer program, while Shakespeare was a person.

Similarly, Thompson asked ChatGPT what 4839 + 3948 – 45 is. It said 8732, and when Adam Engst tried while editing this article, it answered 8632. Both answers are wrong—it should be 8742. Again, ChatGPT may be a computer program, but it isn’t doing any arithmetic. It’s looking through its huge text model for the most likely next words, and its training data was both wrong and inconsistent. But at least it showed its work!

This is why even though ChatGPT can generate computer code, I wouldn’t use it in a real program. Its answers are not necessarily correct; they’re just based on Internet training data. It’s likely to return errors both subtle and blatant. Unlike human language, computer programs need to be 100% correct. That’s why Stack Overflow banned ChatGPT-generated code.

White-Collar AIs

While AI is unlikely to put programmers out of work anytime soon, it is coming for many other professions. ChatGPT-inspired systems will undoubtedly take over from today’s weak support chatbots and start replacing human customer-support representatives. The writing is on the wall for higher-end jobs too. Research assistants of all kinds may be replaced by programs that can summarize the current state of knowledge on any subject, at least what’s available on the Internet. “Content farm” websites already use the likes of GPT to auto-generate text—when will it be good enough for mid-tier sites writing about sports, movies, celebrities, and any other topic where speed, quantity, and low cost are more important than a human journalist’s quality, accuracy, and voice? Will lawyers lose simple bread-and-butter contract work to AIs? (Answer: yes.)

As blogger Kevin Drum noted:

A world full of lawyers and professors and journalists who are able to calmly accept the prospect of millions of unemployed truck drivers will probably be a wee bit more upset at the prospect of millions of unemployed lawyers, professors, and journalists.

ChatGPT really is the leading edge of a massive wave of AI that’s about to wash over society. You can see in the many dialogues posted online that it’s pretty good at answering questions and being pleasantly conversational.

Evolution of Chatbots and Societal Implications

There’s still plenty of room to improve, however. Currently, ChatGPT doesn’t have much “state”—that is, it doesn’t really remember what you’re talking about from question to question. If you were to ask it, “When was Super Bowl 50?” it may reply, “2016.” If you then ask, “Who won?” it would have to retain state information from the last question to realize you’re asking who won that particular Super Bowl.

Retaining state is easy for humans but hard for computers. That’s especially true if you bring up a conversation from a few days ago that involves multiple people and places, and you refer to “him” and “her” and “there” rather than actual names, as humans tend to do. If you’re planning a trip to Paris next week, and you ask your spouse, “Have they started packing?” (in reference to your kids), your spouse will know what you mean, whereas a computer won’t. But this shortcoming will likely be addressed soon. Our AIs will have a persistent memory of the people and events in our lives.

The next step will be giving ChatGPT a voice, integrating it with Siri, Alexa, or Google Assistant, so we can just talk to it. The state of the art in computer-generated voices is already good and will continue to improve until it sounds sufficiently like a person that it’s not immediately obvious you’re talking to a computer. Celebrity voices might even become popular, so you could have Google Assistant sound like Scarlett Johansson for a nominal fee. (Google already has celebrity voices in its Waze GPS navigation app.)

Once there’s a voice interface, people will start having long, private conversations with their AIs. They will develop an emotional relationship (which, to be fair, people have been doing since the original ELIZA chatbot debuted in 1966). No matter how often computer scientists tell people that an AI is not intelligent, that it’s just a statistical language model, people will ascribe feelings, desires, and sentience to it.

There will be good and bad uses for this technology. Older people and shut-ins will have someone to talk to and keep them company. Those with autism might find it an untiring conversational companion, something we’ve already seen with Siri. Small children could develop an unhealthy co-dependence on their friendly AI, talking to it every night as they go to bed, unable to understand why mommy and daddy won’t let AI chat with them at the dinner table.

Say hello to your new best friend. The privacy implications alone are enough to give George Orwell nightmares.

Computer scientists and philosophers have pondered for years if it’s possible to create a conscious computer program. We may get programs that almost everyone thinks are intelligent and talks to as if they’re intelligent, even though programmers can show there’s nothing intelligent going on inside them. It’s just complex pattern-matching. The computer scientist Edsger Dijkstra said, “The question of whether machines can think is about as relevant as the question of whether submarines can swim.”

The societal implications of everyone having an electronic best friend, who they can talk to privately, whenever they want, about whatever they want, as long as they want, are hard to predict. Who knows what this will do to our ability to communicate with each other? But if you think parents complain that kids spend too much time texting with one another and playing video games with (human) friends online, you ain’t seen nothing yet.

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For whom would robotic animal dolls make a big difference?

those with Alzheimer's or dementia, struggling with isolation

What problems can companion robots solve for the elderly or those with cognitive difficulties, according to one study?

For whom would robotic animal dolls make a big difference?

those with Alzheimer's or dementia, struggling with isolation

What problems can companion robots solve for the elderly or those with cognitive difficulties, according to one study?

For whom would robotic animal dolls make a big difference?

those with Alzheimer's or dementia, struggling with isolation

What problems can companion robots solve for the elderly or those with cognitive difficulties, according to one study?

For whom would robotic animal dolls make a big difference?

those with Alzheimer's or dementia, struggling with isolation

What problems can companion robots solve for the elderly or those with cognitive difficulties, according to one study?

These sophisticated companions offer the benefits of pet-like interaction without the responsibilities of traditional pet ownership.

How is Oppo marketing its Robotic dog Qric?

What can Dynamic 1, a robotic dog by Tecno, do?

many features to enhance owner interaction

Why would the elderly opt for a robotic pet as a friend?

## Current Products and Capabilities

### Available Robotic Companions

Several AI-powered robotic pets are currently available in the market:
- **Paro**: A therapeutic robotic seal designed specifically for dementia patients
- **Joy for All**: Robotic cats and dogs that respond to touch and sound
- **Hasbro's Joy for All Companion Pets**: Interactive pets with realistic movements and responses
- **MiRo**: A biomimetic robotic pet that responds to voice, touch, and light

### Functional Features

These robotic companions can:
- Recognize and respond to human emotions
- Engage in conversation and provide mental stimulation
- Offer

For whom would robotic animal dolls make a big difference?

those with Alzheimer's or dementia, struggling with isolation