Robots That Build Friendships: AI, Companionship, and New Questions for Society — The Case of Fawn Friends
What happens when social robots evolve from novelties into emotionally responsive friends that are part of everyday life? Is it OK to use artificial intelligence to create connection, comfort, and companionship?
This session explores the emerging world of AI-enabled social robots through a practical and open conversation with Peter Fitzpatrick, CEO and cofounder of Fawn Friends, a company developing plush, emotionally responsive companions for adults, brought to life with story and artificial intelligence. (https://www.fawnfriends.com/)
The discussion will focus on what Peter has learned and faced through product development, user experience, market positioning, and tackling the ethical and legal questions emerging in this rapidly evolving space.
These AI-enabled systems may provide comfort, creativity, emotional engagement, and new forms of interaction. At the same time, they raise important questions that deserve thoughtful discussion:
• Can artificial companionship complement human relationships, or reshape them in unexpected ways?
• Users’ stories suggest these systems sometimes encourage positive behaviors, such as seeking medical care or reducing harmful habits. How do we balance these potential benefits with concerns about emotional dependency or misplaced trust?
• As public figures increasingly engage with AI-driven experiences, could AI-mediated interaction complement traditional cultural forms like film and music—or transform how we consume art altogether?
• What responsibilities do developers have when designing emotionally engaging AI systems?
This conversation aims to foster a balanced understanding of both the opportunities and challenges presented by these technologies.
About Fawn Friends
Fawn Friends is a technology company developing AI-powered plush companions designed primarily for adult users. The company combines artificial intelligence, robotics, and storytelling to create emotionally engaging interactive experiences intended to foster comfort, connection, and new forms of human–technology interaction.
Find more here: https://www.fawnfriends.com/
Speaker
Peter Fitzpatrick
CEO & Cofounder, Fawn Friends
Peter Fitzpatrick is the CEO and cofounder of Fawn Friends, building AI and robots that form real friendships with humans. Before Fawn, he built Thinkific’s highest-growth business unit through the company’s IPO.
Moderator
Ana Catarina de Alencar
International Lawyer, AI Ethicist, PhD Researcher
Ana Catarina de Alencar is an international lawyer and ethicist based in Paris, working at the intersection of AI governance, law, and emerging technologies. She is a PhD researcher at Université de Lille developing an interdisciplinary project on emotional AI that combines legal analysis with neurobiological perspectives. She holds a Master’s degree in Philosophy and Technology of Law, is the author of Artificial Intelligence, Ethics and Law (2022), and has taught courses on political philosophy, digital rights, GDPR, and AI regulation. She is a member of Open Ethics AI and Women in AI Governance, and serves as Resident Philosopher at The AI Collective.
📅 19 March 2026
🕕 6:00 PM (Paris time)
🕕 9:00 AM (San Francisco time)
🌐 Online event
This session is intended for researchers, legal professionals, technologists, policymakers, ethicists, and anyone interested in emotionally intelligent AI, robotics, and the evolving relationship between humans and technology.
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