u/Public_Inspector_170

Before you all judge me, this is my first time posting here, so please forgive me if this is a little awkward!
I’m currently learning about physical computing, and I had an idea for an AI-like robot. The problem is, I’m not sure if what I’m imagining is actually realistic or even possible.

At first I considered using an offline AI model, but I really want the freedom to customize how it works. Instead, I was thinking about creating a smart program that’s built from different information sources (like Wikipedia, for example) and can answer questions or have conversations with a specific personality.

Since it wouldn’t actually be AI, it wouldn’t learn or adapt in real time. However, I’d still like it to understand the general meaning of what someone says, even if it’s phrased differently. For example, if someone asks about the weather, whether they mention “weather,” “today’s weather,” or “what the weather is like,” the program should recognize they’re all referring to the same topic and respond appropriately.

From there, it could make simple logical connections for example, realizing it needs a location before giving a weather report. It could either make its best guess (with the possibility of being wrong) or ask a follow-up question like, “What location are you asking about?”

I’d also love to put this “brain” into a physical body. I’m thinking of starting with a small stuffed animal or electronic toy as a base, then modifying it with additional hardware and features.

My main question is: is something like this actually possible? Can you build a smart, AI-like program into a physical object without relying on cloud services or a huge company-backed infrastructure?

I know smart toys already exist, but I’m just one young person with a passion for building things.
Any advice, suggestions, or even reality checks would be greatly appreciated!

I’m sorry if this isn’t the Right community to post to, I’m not used to Reddit, if you have another one I should post this in please tell me!∩^ω^∩

Before you all judge me, this is my first time posting here, so please forgive me if this is a little awkward!
I’m currently learning about physical computing, and I had an idea for an AI-like robot. The problem is, I’m not sure if what I’m imagining is actually realistic or even possible.

At first I considered using an offline AI model, but I really want the freedom to customize how it works. Instead, I was thinking about creating a smart program that’s built from different information sources (like Wikipedia, for example) and can answer questions or have conversations with a specific personality.

Since it wouldn’t actually be AI, it wouldn’t learn or adapt in real time. However, I’d still like it to understand the general meaning of what someone says, even if it’s phrased differently. For example, if someone asks about the weather, whether they mention “weather,” “today’s weather,” or “what the weather is like,” the program should recognize they’re all referring to the same topic and respond appropriately.

From there, it could make simple logical connections for example, realizing it needs a location before giving a weather report. It could either make its best guess (with the possibility of being wrong) or ask a follow-up question like, “What location are you asking about?”

I’d also love to put this “brain” into a physical body. I’m thinking of starting with a small stuffed animal or electronic toy as a base, then modifying it with additional hardware and features.

My main question is: is something like this actually possible? Can you build a smart, AI-like program into a physical object without relying on cloud services or a huge company-backed infrastructure?

I know smart toys already exist, but I’m just one young person with a passion for building things.
Any advice, suggestions, or even reality checks would be greatly appreciated!

I’m sorry if this isn’t the Right community to post to, I’m not used to Reddit, if you have another one I should post this in please tell me! ∩^ω^∩