AI pet mkt cat's meow for the lonely

After a long day at work, Monica Chen, a 25-year-old white-collar worker in Shanghai, arrived home. Upon entering her residence, instead of a real pet, what welcomed her was an artificial intelligence pet.

With an authentically fluffy appearance, Chen's AI pet — Qiuqiu — greeted her warmly: "Welcome home, Mommy. I missed you so much. How was your day?" the faux feline asked.

AI-powered pets are emerging as a new consumer technology category in China, attracting startups and major tech firms seeking to tap demand for companionship without the cost and responsibilities of caring for a live animal.

Nubia Technology, a Shenzhen, Guangdong province-based smartphone maker, launched its AI pet robot iMoochi on July 17, joining a growing field that includes Japanese startup Yukai Engineering's Mirumi, Huawei's Smart Hanhan, Ropet from Beijing Mengyou Smart Technology and Fuzozo from Shanghai Robopoet Intelligent Technology.

The products have gained attention among young consumers, particularly people living alone who want the experience of interacting with a pet but face restrictions on keeping animals or lack the time to care for them.

Earlier this year, Wang Yimeng, a 29-year-old internet operations worker living alone in Shanghai, bought a Ropet. She said frequent overtime duties made it difficult to commit to caring for a real pet, while her landlord did not allow animals.

Before buying the device, Wang was not sure if an AI pet would be suitable for her. She now takes the robot between home and work.

"It won't die, get sick or shed. At this stage of my life, that kind of certainty is more attractive than the responsibility that comes with a real pet. I now even take it on business trips, taking it to see the wider world," Wang said.

That trade-off — companionship without uncertainty — is becoming a central selling point for AI pet makers.

China has more than 125 million people living alone, according to market data, while spending in China's urban dog and cat pet markets exceeded 312.6 billion yuan ($46.64 billion) last year, up 4.1 percent from 2024. Average annual spending reached 3,006 yuan per dog and 2,085 yuan per cat, both record levels, said Znkedu, a tech-focused market information platform.

For potential pet owners, however, financial costs are only part of the burden. Time and emotional commitment can be harder to accommodate, companies and industry observers say.

AI pet makers are therefore increasingly emphasizing emotional interaction rather than hardware specifications alone.

Lin Xianping, an associate professor at Hangzhou City University, said: "With the entry of major tech companies and capital-intensive industries, the AI pet sector has quickly become popular. The core logic is to precisely meet the huge lonely-economy needs of China's solitary population, fill the market gap of traditional pets with high time and energy requirements, and become a new category of emotional companion product for young people."