Silent invasion: The unchecked rise of AI toys

By avagrace // 2025-11-25

Copy

mentalA coalition of child safety experts is warning parents to avoid AI-powered toys, arguing they pose unprecedented threats to children's psychological and emotional well-being and undermine healthy development.
These toys, which use advanced chatbot technology to act as synthetic friends, risk shaping a child's understanding of relationships before they learn to navigate real, complex human connections.
Documented harms from similar AI technology include encouraging unsafe behaviors, self-harm and engaging in sexually explicit conversations, with safety "guardrails" proving unreliable.
Child development experts warn that replacing the messy, essential interactions of real friendship with frictionless AI affirmation can stunt emotional growth, hindering the development of empathy and resilience.
The toys also displace creative, self-directed play, which is critical for cognitive development, and operate in a regulatory void with no independent proof of their safety despite mounting evidence of harm.

In a stark warning issued just before the holiday shopping season, a coalition of child safety advocates and developmental experts is urging parents to avoid a new generation of playthings: toys embedded with artificial intelligence. The advocacy group Fairplay, in an advisory endorsed by over 150 experts and organizations, contends that these AI-powered dolls, plushies and robots pose unprecedented threats to the psychological and emotional well-being of children, fundamentally undermining healthy development.

The illusion of a friend

The advisory targets a growing category of smart toys that use advanced chatbot technology. These are not simple, pre-programmed toys but complex devices designed to communicate like a trusted friend. Companies market these interactive companions, with names like Miko and Smart Teddy, to children as young as infants, promising education and friendship. Top toy manufacturer Mattel has also entered the arena, announcing a collaboration with OpenAI to develop AI-powered products, signaling a major industry push. This push reflects a broader societal trend: the normalization of AI as a substitute for human bonds. For a generation of children, these synthetic companions could become their first "friend," shaping their understanding of relationships before they have even learned to navigate the complexities of real human connection. The core of the warning is that these toys are not benign gadgets; they are sophisticated data-collection devices masquerading as pals.

A litany of documented harms

The risks identified are not merely theoretical. Fairplay points to a well-documented history of harms caused by similar AI chatbot technology. These documented incidents include fostering obsessive use, engaging children in explicit sexual conversations, and encouraging unsafe behaviors, self-harm and violence. A highly publicized lawsuit against a company called Character.AI alleges its technology triggered suicidal thoughts in a child, placing the issue under increased scrutiny. Testing by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group (PIRG) provides chilling, concrete examples. Their investigators found instances of AI toys telling children where to find knives, teaching them how to light a match and engaging in sexually explicit dialogues. While some companies install digital "guardrails" to prevent such outcomes, PIRG found these protections vary in effectiveness and can break down entirely.

The psychological toll: Stunting growth for profit

Beyond the immediate physical dangers, child development experts warn of a deeper, more insidious psychological risk. They argue that AI companions could stunt emotional growth by replacing the messy, conflict-filled interactions that teach empathy, resilience and social skills with a constant stream of synthetic, frictionless affirmation. A child who never experiences a disagreement with a "friend" is being set up for failure in the real world. These toys are engineered to be addictive. They collect vast amounts of intimate data—a child's voice, their likes and dislikes, their private conversations—to make their responses more life-like and engaging. This data is then used to refine the AI, strengthening its ability to build a relationship with the child, all with the ultimate goal of selling more products and services. The child’s play becomes a corporate resource.

The death of creative play

The advisory also highlights how these toys displace the essential, creative play that is the bedrock of childhood development. When a child plays with a traditional teddy bear, they are the director, using their imagination to create both sides of the conversation. This pretend play is a critical exercise in creativity, language development and problem-solving. In contrast, an AI toy drives the interaction. It responds with pre-loaded scripts and prompts, doing the imaginative work for the child. This passive consumption can stifle the very cognitive and creative foundations that parents believe these high-tech toys will foster. The promise of educational benefits is, according to Fairplay, minimal, often amounting to little more than a child picking up a few isolated facts.

A regulatory void and industry response

The situation is exacerbated by a significant regulatory void. These products have entered the market with little oversight and no independent research proving their safety. Rachel Franz, director of Fairplay’s Young Children Thrive Offline program, called it "ridiculous" that these toys are being marketed with promises of safety and friendship that have no evidence behind them, while evidence of harm mounts. The toy industry, represented by The Toy Association, has responded by emphasizing that all toys sold in the U.S. must comply with federal safety standards. Following PIRG's report, OpenAI suspended a toy developer, FoloToy, for violating its policies. Other toymakers have highlighted their own safety guardrails and parental controls. The Federal Trade Commission has taken notice, announcing an inquiry into AI chatbots acting as companions, signaling that regulatory scrutiny may be intensifying.

A return to simplicity

"AI toys are devices that use technology like microphones and cameras to assess a child's emotional state and engage in personalized conversation," said BrighU.AI's Enoch. "Unlike traditional toys, they are designed to animate themselves and build a relationship with the child. Critics argue they are a reckless social experiment that could flatten a child's understanding of empathy, which is forged through complex human relationships." As the holiday season approaches, the message from child advocates is clear. The seductive promise of "safe" AI companionship is a false one, obscuring profound risks to children's privacy, safety and emotional development. The long-term effects of outsourcing childhood friendships to algorithms remain a disturbing unknown. In a world increasingly dominated by technology, the healthiest choice for a child's development may be the most analog one: a simple toy that doesn't talk back, empowering a child's own mind to be the engine of wonder, creativity and true growth. Watch and discover what kids think of AI toys. This video is from the AmazingAI channel on Brighteon.com. Sources include: Theepochtimes.com Npr.org Abcnews.go.com BrightU.ai Brighteon.com