‘Are You Wearing My Mom?’ Amazing AI-Powered Calf Robot to Confront Leather-Clad Miami Shoppers

For Immediate Release:
January 7, 2025

Contact:
Sara Groves 202-483-7382

Shoppers hoping to snag some post-holiday deals at the Lincoln Road Mall are in for a sci-fi spectacle on Thursday when a walking, talking, AI-powered robot calf named Charli XC Cow will hoof it to Urban Outfitters and other nearby stores to ask leather-clad shoppers outside, “Are you wearing my mother?” The robot, which features a state-of-the-art 3D-printed head, will describe how cows suffer mutilations and violent killings in the leather industry—and also break into a celebratory dance whenever someone proclaims they’re wearing shoes, clothing, or accessories made of vegan leather.

“Every leather item represents a lifetime of suffering and a sad, bad death for cows,” says PETA Executive Vice President Tracy Reiman. “PETA is encouraging shoppers to keep cruelty out of their closets by opting for animal- and climate-friendly vegan materials that no one had to die for.”

Where: Outside Urban Outfitters, 841 Lincoln Rd., Miami

When: Thursday, January 9, 12 noon

Charli XC Cow. Credit: PETA

Why: Cows have friends, hold grudges against other cows, and mourn when a loved one dies or when they’re separated from each other. Yet cows killed for leather may be skinned and dismembered while still conscious—after they’ve endured castration (for males), branding, and tail docking, all without painkillers. In addition to the horrific cruelty that the leather industry inflicts on animals, it’s a major contributor to climate change, land devastation, deforestation, water pollution, and loss of biodiversity. Sustainable vegan leathers are just as durable and fashionable without the cruelty or environmental destruction of leather.

PETA—whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to wear”—points out that Every Animal Is Someone and offers free Empathy Kits for people who need a lesson in kindness. For more information, please visit PETA.org or follow PETA on X, Facebook, or Instagram.