this post was submitted on 12 Dec 2025
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cross-posted from: https://lemmy.world/post/40075400

New research from Public Interest Research Group and tests conducted by NBC News found that a wide range of AI toys have loose guardrails.

A wave of AI-powered children's toys has hit shelves this holiday season, claiming to rely on sophisticated chatbots to animate interactive robots and stuffed animals that can converse with kids. 

Children have been conversing with stuffies and figurines that seemingly chat with them for years, like Furbies and Build-A-Bears. But connecting the toys to advanced artificial intelligence opens up new and unexpected possible interactions between kids and technology. 

In new research, experts warn that the AI technology powering these new toys is so novel and poorly tested that nobody knows how they may affect young children.

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[–] MissJinx@lemmy.world 7 points 12 hours ago

Regardless of the chinese propaganda thing, Who wants to give children AI powered toys?! Are you insane? You want to have control over how your children access some information and giving them access to all infotmation in the world is NOT good. Those are Kids!

[–] Not_mikey@lemmy.dbzer0.com 2 points 13 hours ago

Ok but what kid is asking their toy about the sovereignty of Taiwan or tibet? If it was trying to fit it in to every conversation like grok talking about white genocide then I'd be worried, but this seems like they're going out of there way to try and paint the toys as propaganda machines.