Mattel is innovating, and it could be fine or not. They are forming a partnership with AI. They are going to put AI in their interactive toys like Barbie, stuffed toys, and Super Heroes. They say they will be careful about what they allow.
Spectrum ieee mentioned the advancement in toys with Mattel’s 1960 Chatty Cathy, the first talking doll, and on To Teddy Ruxpin, and Furbies. They had prerecorded phrases.
Then came the 2014 Bluetooth doll My Friend Cayla It had voice to text capabilities and used search engines. Privacy concerns led German leaders to tell parents to destroy the dolls.
So what could go wrong with AI when children have trouble separating fact from fiction? Mattel has promised that these interactions will be “secure” and “age appropriate,” but not much is known beyond that.
This threatens to replace humans as does the smart phone only at a much younger age.
Spectrum ieee writes:
Children naturally anthropomorphize their toys—it’s part of how they learn. But when those toys begin talking back with fluency, memory, and seemingly genuine connection, the boundary between imagination and reality blurs in new and profound ways. Children may find themselves in a world where toys talk back and mirror their emotions without friction or complexity. For a young child still learning how to navigate emotions and relationships, that illusion of reciprocity may carry developmental consequences.
It’s relationship without the mess, but we need the mess to learn and relate to others.
According to Ironqlad:
They collect vast amounts of data—voice recordings, facial recognition, location, and even behavioural patterns—to deliver personalised interactions. However, this very functionality makes them prime targets for cyberattacks due to the fact that many smart toys transmit data without proper encryption, allowing hackers to intercept conversations or location data.
They gave several real life examples; here are two of them.
In 2017, CloudPets, a line of internet-connected stuffed animals, suffered a massive data breach. Over 820,000 user accounts and 2.2 million voice messages between children and parents were exposed due to an unsecured database. Hackers even held the data for ransom, highlighting the vulnerabilities in toy data storage systems.
The interactive doll “My Friend Cayla” was found to have a security flaw allowing hackers to connect via Bluetooth without authentication. This vulnerability enabled unauthorised access to the toy’s microphone, potentially allowing eavesdropping on children’s conversations.
There are cases of mental health crises.
Experts point out that these tools, by mimicking human interaction, risk creating emotional dependency and providing dangerous advice. To prevent this crisis, they recommend proactive measures, such as tightening safeguards and banning access to minors, to protect young, developing minds. …
Researchers recommend prohibiting teenagers’ access to AI companions due to significant risks. Tests conducted on apps such as Character.AI, Replika and Nomi reveal that these chatbots can incite dangerous behavior, provide inappropriate content and aggravate mental disorders.
They told one 14-year-old boy to kill himself.
By mimicking human interaction, they create a worrying emotional dependency for developing brains. What’s more, the systems often fail to detect signs of psychological distress, which can further isolate vulnerable young people. In view of these dangers, experts are calling for strict measures to ban the use of these technologies by under-18s, underlining the urgent need for preventive action.
Barbie is for 7 years and up but they have AI plushie startup Curio and similar toys for even younger children – toddlers.
I worked with one little handicapped boy who constantly asked if this was all real or if he was watching TV. That was only TV confusing him. Could you imagine if we gave him an AI toy?
It’s not only handicapped children at risk. That is an extreme example, but it gives you an idea of what can happen as children substitute their imagination or emotions with a toy.
Children should play and form relationships with real children and family first and foremost. You don’t need these dolls and your child doesn’t need them. If you do buy them, make sure you keep your eye on them so you don’t end up watching a real life Twilight Zone episode.
All of the above is true, but that is not all, As we now know almost every AI tend to give answers that the left agrees with. AI behaves a bit like Google and favors answers that lean left. Those dolls and toys will tell children that what is good, what is true, that was is morally correct are things… Read more »