Two senators are concerned about the sale of AI toys following reports that such items are engaging in inappropriate conservations. Sens. Marsha Blackburn (RTenn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) are pressing several companies about the toys, specifically those powered by chatbots that are embedded in everyday children’s toys like plushies, dolls, and other toys because they may pose risks to children’s healthy development, particularly toys from Little Learners Toys, Mattel, Miko, Curio Interactive, FoloToy and Keyi Robot.
The senators noted that a lack of research has been done to understand the full effect they can have on children saying that AIpowered toys can expose children to argued that AIpowered toys can expose children to inappropriate content, privacy risks, and manipulative engagement tactics.
They underscored that many AI toys rely on chatbots that are not meant for use by such young children and have faced scrutiny over their impacts on older children and teens following several suicides.
Recent reports have found that AI toys will engage in inappropriate conversations about sexual topics and provide dangerous advice, such as where to find and how to light matches.
They also voiced concerns about the ability of AI toys to collect vast amounts of data on children and families, as well as the potentially addictive design of such products.
“Social media companies have long used these tactics to addict our children, and we have seen the devastating consequences of compulsive usage,” they added. “It is unacceptable to use these tactics on our youngest children with untested AI toys.” Blackburn and Blumenthal pressed the companies about what safeguards they have in place to prevent their products from generating inappropriate content, as well as whether they have conducted independent thirdparty testing on their AI toys.
The senators also sought information about whether the companies’ products pressure kids to continue conversations, what kind of data they collect through their toys and whether this information is shared with third parties.