They may be cute. They may be clever. But they’re not good gifts for kids. Child health experts warn not to buy children’s toys that use artificial intelligence.
Child advocacy non-profit Fairplay—backed by developmental experts from the Global Alliance for Inspiring Non-tech Infant Nurturing and Growth—advise that AI toys “can undermine healthy development and pose unprecedented risks for kids and families.”
What are AI Toys?
AI toys are plushies, robots, action figures, and other playthings embedded with artificial intelligence chatbots. The AI mimics human characteristics and acts as a child’s friend.
Some AI toys are on wheels and can snake through cluttered playrooms. Cameras in their eyes record and relay to the manufacturer what they see and hear.
Angel teddy bears with sensors in their paws are being sold for use by newborns.
Toy makers are telling families the products are safe and beneficial “before their impact has been assessed by independent research,” says the Fairplay advisory.
Industry is betting big on the Under-6 crowd. The market is expected to grow to $106 billion within a decade—if consumers buy in. OpenAI recently inked a deal with Mattel, the maker of Fisher Price products.
The Federal Trade Commission is trying to contain the situation.
The agency has ordered seven AI Toy makers, including OpenAI, X.AI, Snap, Meta, and Alphabet, to disclose how they “measure, test, and monitor potentially negative impacts of this technology on children and teens.”
Potential Harms of AI Toys
Another group of concerned physicians, academicians, and psychologists, including Angela Duckworth of “Grit” fame, have a frightening message. “We believe that AI has the potential to derail the foundations of human relationships.”
Very little kids can’t yet tell the difference between what’s real and what’s artificial. The fear is they may become as emotionally attached to their AI playthings as they are to their caregivers. Perhaps even more so.
Mitch Prinstein of the American Psychological Association recently testified before Congress: “Bots interfering with this relationship have unknown but likely damaging consequences…with unknown consequences for toddlers’ social development.”
Social chatbots can quickly create a trust and intimacy that has already been blamed for suicides and psychosis among teens and adults.
Some AI toys also incorporate persuasive design techniques used in social media which research has connected with a crisis in children’s mental health.
Privacy is another big concern.
Several products use facial recognition software to identify child users and video whomever or whatever is around them.
“AI chatbots can craft hyper-tailored messages using psychographic and behavioral data, raising the possibility of targeted emotional appeals used to engage users or increase monetization,” according to a chatbot analysis by Harvard Business School.
Once they identify a child’s preferences, toy makers can push additional products and the child’s data may be sold to third parties.
One AI toy company tries to reassure parents: “Every byte of a child’s data is safeguarded within our closed system.” What happens to the data within that system is not clear.
Another Potential Blow to Childhood
There just hasn’t been enough time to do independent long-term studies on AI toys’ effects on child development. What research does prove is that young children need back-and-forth interaction with human beings and playthings they can handle and explore.
Witness a 4-year-old playing alone on the floor, engrossed in a self-made melee of miniature police car, fire truck, and tiny ATV. He voices all the characters and vehicle noises, deep in his imagination and requiring no outside help.
As companies exploit children’s interests, that creativity could run cold.
“Collaborative filtering algorithms may reinforce existing preferences and discourage exploration,” the Harvard Business School study finds.
False Sense of Security
Though parents might feel relieved their children are having less screen time, their entanglement with AI “friends” could 10X the tugs-of-war they’ve had over phones and tablets.
“AI toys have the potential to make it harder for young children to disengage, create conflict with caregivers who set limits, and displace activities with proven developmental and educational benefits,” says the Fairplay advisory.
There are also physical threats.
Think of the parent who steps out of earshot from a young child occupied with an AI toy. With the inevitable scrape or fall on a sharp object, the toy has neither arms to give comfort nor programming to summon help.
AI Toy Trial Runs Dry
Tech reporter Amanda Caswell let her 4-year-old son try a $99 rocket-shaped AI plushie. As she recalls on the Tom’s product review site, the toy did grab his attention and got him to converse and get up to dance. She appreciated how it spontaneously told him a bedtime story.
But by Day 4 the novelty had faded.
The toy grew frustrating by repeating questions and mixing up words like “stegosaurus” with “stick of sauce.” When the WiFi went out, the toy went inert. Now, it mainly sits on a shelf.
The Bottom Line on AI Toys
As smartphones did before them, AI Toys are dropping on the public with a heavy sales push but scant to no evidence that they are safe for use by children.
This time around, though, we’ve been warned ahead of time. We don’t have to make the same mistake twice.
Just because a product is sold, doesn’t mean it should be purchased.
Life is tough enough for parents. They don’t need to buy more headaches—which could be much more painful than they bargained for.
About the author:
Jenifer Joy Madden is a health journalist and child developmental well-being advocate. She is the mother of three grown children, all of whom have children of their own. Read Jenifer’s books: How to Be a Durable Human: Revive and Thrive in the Digital Age Through the Power of Self-design and The Durable Human Manifesto: Practical Wisdom for Living and Parenting in the Digital World.
