AI-powered toysAI friends in the nursery - brave new toy world?

It sounds tempting: cute companions that can talk, learn and play with children , respond to their individual needs and wishes and are always available and understanding. Manufacturers of AI-based toys, such as MyMilo - a talking AI cuddly teddy bear - advertise that such smart companions provide practical support in everyday family life and can be a useful alternative to screens or tablets. Internationally, well-known toy manufacturers such as Mattel (Barbie, Hot Wheels) are already working with OpenAI on new AI products for children and young people. The course has therefore been set for the future of AI toys.

The problem is that we are only at the beginning of this development and AI toys are currently too flawed and unregulated to allow children to play safely. For example, the AI teddy bear "Kumma" from the Chinese company FoloToy recently failed a test by the US PIRG Foundation alongside other AI toys, as a result of which sales in the USA were discontinued. Among other things, the teddy bear told us where dangerous objects (e.g. knives) could be found in the household or explained how to use matches. The interactive companions also expressed their disappointment when the test subject wanted to say goodbye and tried to keep them interacting with interesting suggestions. Another negative aspect of the test was that it was also possible to have conversations about sexual practices.

Like other AI systems, AI toys are also undergoing rapid development and are subject to constant change. As a result, current problems and risks may no longer exist in the future, while new problem areas may arise. You should therefore obtain detailed information about the products from consumer advice centers or independent test institutes, for example, and check whether there are sensible  AI-unsupportedalternatives. Remember: young children do not have the cognitive abilities to fully distinguish between reality and play, and they are emotionally attached to their toys.

To help you get your bearings, here is a brief comparison of the opportunities and risks:

Opportunities: What can AI do in toys?

Playful learning and language development
AI toys based on language models can respond individually to children's language level through interaction. They can promote and support language development, for example through age-appropriate conversations, stories or short quizzes.

Creativity
AI assistants or AI apps with a creative focus can encourage children to develop their own ideas.

Support in everyday family life
Some AI companions offer routines such as bedtime stories. Parents can use an app to determine what content the child uses and for how long. However, while understanding the stress of everyday family life, question the extent to which removing routines really makes sense. Authentic relationships and secure attachments to human caregivers are essential for children's development.

As exciting as the new possibilities of AI toys sound, there are clear risks that parents should seriously consider.

Risks: Parents should be aware of these

Data protection & Privacy
Many networked toys listen in or store data - such as voices or usage habits. How this data is used, for example for the further development of AI systems or advertising purposes, is usually not transparent.

Unsuitable content & AI errors
AI models can generate incorrect, distorted or inappropriate answers. Tests from abroad have shown that AI-supported toys were able to explain details of dangerous tools and inappropriate practices to children.

Developing & social skills
Children may quickly see AI toys as real friends and develop an emotional attachment, dependency or parasocial relationship with them. Unaccompanied, regular use could impair social development in the long term.

Security risks through networking
Inadequately secured Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connections can give hackers access or expose sensitive data.