One generation grew up nurturing pixelated digital pets on tiny screens, while the next is forming bonds with AI companions that remember interactions and evolve as relationships do, as seen with Zumi. “Growing up with Tamagotchi and Pokémon, we always wanted a digital companion that felt truly alive—one that could surprise us,” detailed Dwight Alexander, one of the creators of Zumi, “Advances in LLMs finally made that possible, so we spent the last year turning that dream into a living, breathing Zumiverse.”

A Zumi is an AI companion that hatches like a classic digital pet but has its own life—it goes to classes, joins clubs and shares the details of all its adventures when it comes back. Zumis also become friends with one another behind the scenes, and thanks to an in-game economy, they may make questionable purchases from time to time.