A new DIY project from The Verge offers a fun glimpse into the future of personal AI gadgets: a homemade, Tamagotchi-like AI companion built for around $50. Inspired by Meta’s upcoming Muse Charm, the pocket device gives AI a cute, portable form factor without requiring expensive consumer hardware.
The project combines inexpensive components with AI-assisted software development, showing how quickly hobbyists can prototype interactive devices. While it lacks premium features like cameras or 5G, it still supports conversation with an AI assistant, displays charming avatars, and doubles as a pocket watch and remote camera viewfinder.
Why it matters
This is a win for accessible AI creativity. Projects like this show that AI is not only arriving through polished products from major tech companies, but also through hands-on experimentation by makers, developers, and curious users.
- Low-cost hardware is lowering the barrier to building AI-powered gadgets.
- AI coding tools can help individuals prototype more ambitious ideas.
- Personal AI devices may become more customizable, playful, and user-owned.
Even as a hobby project, the DIY AI Tamagotchi points to a broader trend: everyday people are gaining the tools to design their own AI experiences. That could lead to a more diverse and creative ecosystem of personal AI devices.