This seems to be part of a broader, ongoing software infantilization process.

Empty states can't simply state a fact using text and maybe some sober picture to fill space: it needs to show a cute robot, dog or whatever.

Colors can't be sober either, everything has to be colorful, cheerful.

Buttons can't use text anymore, they must show cryptic icons even when there's plenty of screen space. Figuring out icons' meanings is left as an exercise to the user.

Such cutesy syndrome doesn't affect error messages only. Customer service and even replies to angry reviews got infected too.

Besides the obvious inappropriateness, what makes this especially ridiculous is the amount of wasted human resources.

This surely can be valuable to certain audiences, but I wonder what makes them think this should be the standard way of doing things. Even banking apps, supposed to be serious, conservative and stable, are falling prey to such disease. The only thing I can think of is an army of executives not having the faintest idea of what they are doing. Just blindly following trends inflated by years of cheap-VC-money-fuelled BS, and putting a bunch of kids in charge