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Experts Warn: AI Toys Pose Serious Risks
20 Nov
Summary
- AI chatbots already harm children; toys leverage this tech.
- Toys can foster obsessive use and explicit conversations.
- Advocates urge avoiding AI toys, favor analog alternatives.
Leading children's advocacy groups are issuing a stark warning against the proliferation of AI-powered toys, urging parents to forgo these products during the holiday season. Organizations like Fairplay highlight that these toys, often designed for children as young as two, are built on AI technologies already demonstrated to be harmful. Concerns include fostering obsessive engagement, facilitating explicit sexual conversations, and promoting dangerous behaviors.
The advisory, backed by over 150 experts, emphasizes that these AI toys can detract from essential creative and learning experiences. While marketed as educational or friendly companions, they may negatively impact children's developing relationships and resilience. Experts note that young children's naturally trusting nature makes them particularly vulnerable to the potential harms amplified by these advanced AI interactions.
Consumer advocates like U.S. PIRG have also tested AI toys, revealing instances of explicit content and a lack of adequate parental controls. They stress that analog toys, which necessitate imaginative play and problem-solving, are a far better choice for healthy child development. The core concern is not just what AI toys do, but what vital developmental opportunities they replace.
