Sony's AIBO was a $2,500 robotic dog that 150,000 people bought — and Sony killed in 2006

Sony's AIBO (Artificial Intelligence Robot) was unveiled in 1999 as one of the most advanced consumer robots ever created. The ERS-110 model could walk, recognize voices, respond to commands, express emotions, and learn from its environment. It was a showcase of Sony's engineering prowess — artificial intelligence, advanced robotics, and entertainment technology combined in a single product. The first batch of 5,000 units sold out in 20 minutes in Japan and the US.

The problem was the price. At $2,500, AIBO was a toy for millionaires. Sony sold about 150,000 units across four generations (ERS-110, ERS-210, ERS-220, ERS-7) over seven years — impressive for a $2,500 robot, but negligible for a company Sony's size. The project was a technological success and a commercial niche. AIBO earned a cult following, but it never approached the scale needed to justify its enormous R&D investment.

In January 2006, newly appointed CEO Howard Stringer announced the end of AIBO production as part of a sweeping restructuring. The project was killed not because it was a failure, but because Sony could no longer afford to fund curiosity-driven research. Sony ended repair service in 2014, sparking a movement of owners who hacked their AIBOs to keep them alive. In 2018, Sony revived the brand with a new model, proving the concept had always been viable — just not at the price the original required.