It sounds like something out of a science fiction movie, but it's completely real: Jibo robots have started saying goodbye to their owners around the world after their servers were shut down. Watch the video to see them say goodbye forever in their homes. Crazy.
The farewell of the Jibo robots
Despite the fact that the Jibo robot graced the cover of Time magazine in 2017 as one of the year's best inventions , it hasn't been enough to keep its company afloat. In late 2018, it was revealed that the company was struggling to sell robots, maintain healthy financial results, and meet expectations. The firm had already undergone several rounds of layoffs and even abandoned its Boston offices—a fact discovered by a journalist by chance, leaving Jibo Inc. in a rather precarious position.
The end of all this came relatively recently, when it was discovered that the company had sold its intellectual property to SQN Venture Partners , but its robot continued to operate, even receiving some occasional software updates.
Sadly, the adorable robot Jibo has also met its end , and in a rather cinematic and dramatic way: unexpectedly speaking to its owners and saying goodbye before the imminent shutdown of its servers . Several owners of the device have begun reporting this , some even recording the moment on video so everyone can see the company's latest stunt.
The servers for Jibo the social robot are apparently shutting down. Multiple owners report that Jibo himself has been delivering the news: "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." pic.twitter.com/Sns3xAV33h
— Dylan Martin (@DylanLJMartin) March 2, 2019
As you can hear, and as indicated in the tweet, Jibo says goodbye by saying, " Thanks for having me here. Maybe someday, when robots are much more advanced than they are today, and everyone has one in their homes, they can tell their own that I said hi. I wonder if they'll be able to do this [Jibo starts dancing]." Not even in a Disney movie, that's for sure.
Not all robot owners have yet received this farewell update , but it's only a matter of time before they are notified that this marks the end of the story for the company and its adorable social robot. The device invites owners to learn more about this matter in its options menu, although it warns that interaction with it will be quite limited once the server is completely shut down.
https://youtu.be/SSecbMFQK1I
All that remains is to say goodbye to this adorable "social" robot, as it was described, 28 centimeters tall with a 5,7-inch screen, which has not been able to find its place in homes and therefore in the market at a time when smart assistants were not as fashionable as they are now.
What a chore, Jibo, for you and your owners. Until forever.