Sitting in his cozy office in San Francisco, Peter Fitzpatrick’s voice softens when he talks about Fawn, a wide-eyed, animatronic baby deer stuffed animal powered by artificial intelligence. But this isn’t just a toy to Fitzpatrick, it’s something deeper.
Fawn is a companion built on emotional intelligence, a safe space for kids navigating difficult moments. Fawn will be the flagship product of his startup, Fawn Friends, which he co-founded with Robyn Campbell, a children’s screenwriter with credits including The Lego Movie and Angry Birds.
For Fitzpatrick and Campbell, their journey started, unexpectedly, at a hackathon. “We built a prototype of Beanie, an AI-powered stuffed bunny,” Fitzpatrick recalls. “We placed third at the TED AI conference in San Francisco. That was the moment we knew we had something real.”
That validation gave them the courage to go all in. Fitzpatrick had just left his post as Head of Commerce at Vancouver-based Thinkific. Campbell brought her storytelling expertise, and together, they launched Fawn Friends. Their first product, Fawn, designed for kids aged eight and up, is already generating buzz. The July launch has a growing list of preorders. The startup recently raised $2.6M in its latest funding round.
From Personal Pain to Purpose
Fitzpatrick doesn’t shy away from the emotional roots of the project. “Fawn is the friend I needed growing up,” he shares. “My parents went through a drawn-out divorce. There was emotional instability and lack of support. Fawn is that always-there sidekick I didn’t have.”
His co-founder had her own version of that story, shaped by different challenges, but marked by the same longing — someone who listens, understands, and never leaves.
That empathy is baked into Fawn’s very design. She’s not a replacement for real human connection but she is something real. Fawn is something more reassuring like a friend who never interrupts, never forgets and never walks away.
Can a Robot Feel Real?
We often imagine robots as stiff and mechanical, but Fawn is totally different. “It’s incredible how emotionally intelligent Fawn can be,” Fitzpatrick explains. “If you think about what makes someone emotionally intelligent, much of the skill is their ability to listen without getting involved in the other person’s feelings. Fawn is very good at not taking on the troubles themselves. Using AI modelled on the neocortex and without the amygdala-like circuitry, she stays calm and focuses on supporting her human.”
That means Fawn doesn’t get overwhelmed. She listens, reflects, and focuses on the child in front of her. Fawn is equipped with a speaker, microphone, touch sensors, and responsive ears that express emotion. These features aren’t just for show, they help kids feel heard and understood in a deeply intuitive way.
Designing emotionally intelligent AI isn’t just about engineering, it’s about ethics. Fitzpatrick is clear on this. “The rules are the same for robots as for humans. Don’t lie, don’t harm, don’t make promises you can’t keep.”
Fawn is programmed with strong safeguards. She won’t touch on age-inappropriate topics. Her large language model checks itself before delivering answers. And unlike some open systems, she can’t be “jailbroken” by curious users. Transparency and trust are foundational. “Fawn’s job is to show up as a great friend,” he says. “She always puts the child first.”
Are Social Robots Our Future Friends?
Fitzpatrick doesn’t hedge when asked if social robots will one day be considered real companions. “I think we’re already there,” he continues. “Just ask your friends how many of them have shared something personal with ChatGPT this week.”
Fawn’s early adopters aren’t just kids. The use cases of social robots are far beyond. Therapists, educators, and hospitals are embracing her, too. More than 10% of the first batch will end up in professional caregiving settings.
And the market is huge. Noting industry projections, Fitzpatrick says that the smart toy market could hit $35 billion by 2030. It may feel crowded, but the opportunity is massive. It’s every child and arguably every human, as a customer.
For the Worried: Will AI Replace Us?
Fitzpatrick understands the fear around AI replacing human jobs, especially in caregiving. But he offers a compelling counterpoint.
“Electricity replaced jobs people wouldn’t want back such as washing laundry by hand, lighting street lamps or stoking fires. AI will do the same. It’ll remove repetitive, exhausting caregiving chores and let people focus on what only humans can do what is uniquely human.”
He doesn’t see AI replacing humans, but rather challenging us to evolve. “We’re living through a once-in-humanity opportunity,” he says. “This is the inflection point. Fawn is just the beginning. We are building an entire world around her. They’re working on bedtime videos for YouTube, expanding into a line of other animal companions for different age groups and even dreaming of a feature film.”
Fitzpatrick wants Fawn to grow with the child, to be a comforting voice, not just for a moment, but for years.
