Ideas being tested in the open. Directions, not products - labelled as such.
Early research: a canon of ideas for how an artificial companion might be structured to remember, attend, and hold a coherent sense of self over time. A direction, honestly labelled - not a product.
Early research: a companion designed to be held rather than stared at - something that breathes in your hand and asks nothing of a screen. Exploratory, and honest about being so.