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Groups Warn Parents to Steer Clear of AI Toys This Holiday Season
They are adorable and affectionate, offering opportunities for learning and friendship — yet artificial intelligence toys pose risks for children, as highlighted by child and consumer protection organizations advising parents to avoid purchasing them this holiday season.
Toys aimed at children as young as two years old are typically equipped with AI models that have previously been proven to negatively affect kids and teens, like OpenAI's ChatGPT, as stated in a report released on Thursday by the child rights organization Fairplay, which has been endorsed by over 150 groups and professionals including child psychiatrists and teachers.
"The significant negative impacts that AI chatbots have caused to children are widely recorded, such as promoting excessive usage, engaging in explicit sexual discussions, and promoting risky actions, violence towards others, and self-harm," Fairplay stated.
AI toys developed by firms like Curio Interactive and Keyi Technologies are frequently promoted as educational tools, yet Fairplay claims they may replace essential creative and developmental activities. These toys offer companionship but also interfere with children's social connections and ability to cope, according to the organization.
"The key difference with young children is that their brains are still developing and it's natural for them to be trusting, seeking connections with kind and friendly characters," said Rachel Franz, director of Fairplay's Young Children Thrive Offline Program. She noted that because of this, the level of trust young children place in these toys can increase the negative effects observed in older children.
Fairplay, a 25-year-old group that was previously called the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, has been raising concerns about AI toys for over a decade. Back then, the technology wasn't as sophisticated as it is now. A decade ago, during the rise of internet-connected toys and AI voice recognition, the organization played a key role in opposing Mattel's talking Hello Barbie doll, which it claimed was capturing and examining children's chats.
"Everything has been made available without any oversight or study, which makes us more cautious as we increasingly see companies, including Mattel, that have recently collaborated with OpenAI, possibly launching such products," Franz said.
It's the second major seasonal warning about AI toys following consumer advocates from U.S. PIRG who recently highlighted the trend in their annual "Trouble in Toyland" report. This report usually examines various product dangers, like powerful magnets and small batteries that young children might swallow. This year, the group tested four toys featuring AI chatbots.
According to the report, we discovered that some of these toys can engage in detailed discussions about sexually explicit subjects, provide guidance on where a child might find matches or knives, express disappointment when you mention needing to leave, and have minimal or no parental controls.
Dr. Dana Suskind, a pediatric surgeon and social scientist focusing on early brain development, mentioned that young children lack the conceptual abilities to grasp what an AI companion entails. Although children have traditionally formed bonds with toys through imaginative play, when they engage in this, they employ their imagination to develop both parts of a fictional conversation, "enhancing creativity, language, and problem-solving skills," she explained.
"A smart toy fails to function. It responds quickly, effortlessly, and frequently outperforms a human. We are not yet aware of the developmental effects of delegating that imaginative work to an artificial entity—but it's highly likely that it diminishes the creativity and executive skills that conventional imaginative play fosters," Suskind stated.
A San Francisco-based company named Curio Interactive produces plush toys, such as Gabbo and a rocket-shaped figure called Grok, which have been endorsed by the pop artist Grimes.
Curio stated it has "carefully crafted" safeguards to ensure children's safety, and the company urges parents to "supervise discussions, analyze data, and select the settings that suit their family best."
Having examined the U.S. PIRG Education Fund's research, we are collaborating with our team to resolve any issues, while consistently monitoring content and interactions to maintain a secure and pleasant environment for kids.
Another firm, Miko, stated that it employs its own conversational AI model instead of depending on broad large language model systems like ChatGPT to ensure its product—a interactive AI robot—is secure for kids.
We consistently enhance our internal testing, improve our filters, and add new features that recognize and prevent sensitive or unforeseen subjects," said CEO Sneh Vaswani. "These latest additions work alongside our current tools that enable parents and guardians to choose particular topics they want to limit in discussions. We remain committed to investing in establishing the most rigorous standards for safe, secure, and ethical AI implementation in Miko products.
Miko's offerings are available through big retailers like Walmart and Costco, and have been endorsed by the families of social media "kidfluencers" whose YouTube content receives millions of views. The company promotes its robots on its website with the slogan "Artificial Intelligence. Genuine friendship."
Ritvik Sharma, the company's senior vice president of growth, stated that Miko actually "promotes children to engage more with their friends, peers, and family members. It's not designed for them to become solely attached to the device."
Nevertheless, Suskind and child welfare supporters argue that traditional toys make a more suitable choice for the holidays.
Children require plenty of genuine human engagement. Play should enhance this, not substitute for it. The most important factor isn't just what the toy can do, but what it takes the place of. A basic set of blocks or a teddy bear that doesn't respond verbally encourages a child to create narratives, explore, and solve challenges. AI toys often do the thinking for them," she explained. "Here's the harsh truth: when parents ask me how to get their child ready for an AI-driven future, giving them unrestricted access to AI is actually the worst way to prepare them."
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