I built an AI Tamagotchi before Meta could
The squishy face is the smartest thing Meta has done with an AI gadget in a while. Cuteness sells, and Tamagotchi nostalgia is a real marketing lever for Gen X and millennial wallets. I get why the charm exists. But the author's home-built version makes a sharper point: the software and the personality baked into an AI companion matter more than the plastic shell, and both are increasingly accessible to anyone willing to tinker.
I'd want to know what the DIY build actually does that the Muse doesn't, because that's where the comparison gets real. Does it hold a conversation, remember things, or just sit there making faces? If it's genuinely functional, then Meta's charm starts to look like a tax on convenience rather than a leap forward.
And there's room for both. Not everyone wants to solder and configure their own companion. But I like that the hobbyist lane exists, because it keeps the big players honest on both price and features. When a passionate tinkerer can ship the same experience from a garage, the premium on corporate cuteness gets a lot harder to justify.