Philippa Forrester

Philippa Forrester, broadcaster, producer and nature-writer, is no stranger to innovation – whether that’s exploring technological wonders on BBC’s classic future gazing tech series Tomorrow’s World, or witnessing machines at battle on Robot Wars or charting the emotional connections between humans and animals.

Over a caffeinated chat with TI, Forrester talks about a new AI companion she’s a launch ambassador for, Moflin, and how something small and expressive can bring comfort, connection and hope for all ages. Created by Casio, Moflin claims to use Emotional AI (also called affective computing), a branch of artificial intelligence that focuses on recognising, interpreting, simulating, and responding to human emotions.

Tell us about the newly launched Moflin, what it is and how it works?

Moflin is causing a little flurry in my house at the moment. Moflin is a brand-new-to-market smart companion powered by emotional AI. The Moflin I have sits on my desk and on our kitchen island and always elicits a reaction from whoever walks in. They are designed to form a bond with their owners, providing comfort and support through loving gestures and squeaks that grow in animation and excitement over time as interactions between Moflin and the owner become more frequent, and the process is fascinating. It even responds to multiple members of my family.

Moflin is set to launch in the US next month

Why do you think this is something that could help people of any age?

This is a companion designed for everyone. Whether it be young kids first starting to understand the responsibility of owning, and taking care of, a pet; young adults that perhaps aren’t allowed to have a pet in their building; or the older generation who may just need a little extra comfort and interaction at home, Moflin has applicable benefits to all age groups. I remember when I was young having to spend an extended period of time in hospital, I was bored, lonely and I missed my cat and home very much, I read lots of books because that is all we had but I would have loved Moflin then.

Why do you think it’s been a success in Japan, and why do you think people are so intrigued by technology that feels more emotional?

I think Japanese society is already quite accustomed to living with robotics, we spent a lot of time filming there for Tomorrow’s World because they always seem to be so far ahead when it comes to robotics but also when it comes to their attitude toward new tech. So, when a new kind of robotic is introduced, particularly one as special and cute as Moflin, they are eager to experience it and see what development there has been to technology.

Since Covid, it feels as though there’s been an increased focus on mental health, particularly what we can do to improve it and how we can take better care of ourselves.

Being able to communicate with new software like Chat GPT, which also has the power to seemingly make daily tasks easier, the natural next step feels like an exploration of how to make technology more emotional and somehow aid/help our daily lives as far as our mental health goes. We may understand that this is a robot but we also have an emotional response which we can observe too.

How does this compare with the kind of innovations you showcased on Tomorrow’s World?

On Tomorrow’s World, we covered all sorts  of robotic advancements, from those in the medical world to those in the more domestic sphere, from AI toasters to translators.

The birth of the internet, the smartphone and all the changes in our lives were easy to predict in terms of the tech that would be available but not necessarily in terms of what we, as humans, would do with it. Combining human emotion with technology was something which was much harder to predict, so it’s particularly  fascinating to me to watch the way in which this is developing.

Other than Moflin, how do you find tech and AI to benefit you in your current day-to-day life?

Technology often seems to be at its best when you don’t notice it; when it seamlessly becomes a part of our routines. Timers on my smart phone, online grocery orders, Alexa, me being able to start my car and warm it up by using an app instead of setting one slippered foot outside on a frosty morning.

All these things make our lives easier and quickly become integrated into our everyday. Sometimes it happens without us being aware, and sometimes we are just so grateful every day – I’m mainly thinking the medical stuff like the way diabetes patients can now accurately measure their insulin levels and keep track of their blood sugar.

And finally, how do you take your coffee?

Strong and black – a really good espresso. . But just occasionally with caramel. And then sometimes a lovely large cappuccino instead of dessert….. It really depends on the occasion.