Warning: Don't Buy Your Kids This AI Teddy Bear - It Could Be Dangerous
Children’s toys could come with a twist in the near future, as artificial intelligence technology continues to entrench itself into our society.
Stuffed animals equipped with generative artificial intelligence could soon interact with children, and those toys could go as far as to tell them personalized bedtime stories.
That is what Allan Wong, the CEO of VTech Holdings, explained during an interview earlier this year with The Financial Times.
Wong said his company, which is a major player in the toy market, believes that the technology behind the popular ChatGPT chatbot could be available in toys as early as 2028.
The CEO called the potential for AI smart toys “a little scary,” but explained they could use AI to generate stories customized for the individual child, “rather than reading from a book.”
Children would be able to have conversations with their toys and the toys would respond accordingly. The interactions would become increasingly personal as the two grow to know one another better.
“You can incorporate not only the kid’s name, but the kid’s daily activities,” Wong explained, noting that a smart toy will eventually know its owner like a “good friend.”
“The kids … can actually talk to the toy, and the toy can actually give [them] a response,” Wong said.
Wong did note there are dangers associated with generative AI, such as privacy and security concerns, and said he does not believe the technology is ready for the open market.
“I think we should be aware of the dangers, on privacy, security, what kinds of things to teach and what not to teach,” Wong admitted.
Wong’s warnings were echoed this past week by tech guru and radio host Kim Komando in a column cautioning that these toys will absolutely pose a danger to families.
Komando warned that so-called “smart” toys could soon be more than a companion for kids. Their AI could threaten the privacy of all those they encounter, she wrote in The New York Post.
AI teddy bears are here — could they be putting your kids at risk? https://t.co/ob7trWupIE pic.twitter.com/ka3pJx6XY9
— New York Post (@nypost) June 30, 2023
According to Komando, toys such as those Wong is seeking to create might offer positives, such as calming children during tantrums or entertaining them when they are bored, sleepy or agitated.
But Komando warned that the prospect of allowing children to converse with AI will certainly come with a few pitfalls.
Not only would such a connection between a child and a computer be less than genuine, but it also comes with significant privacy concerns that Wong mentioned but did not elaborate on.
She warned these cuddly toys could potentially collect sensitive data about where children live and go to school, which might imperil the privacy of the entire family.
“While the concept is innovative, the same privacy concerns that plague adult smart devices apply to these new kiddie gadgets,” Komando warned. “Whenever a toy has recording capabilities, the data is often collected, stored, and shared with third-party buyers.”
Komando offered some tips for when, or if, an AI toy ends up in your home or the home of someone you know.
She warned that once these toys start making their way into the arms of children, their cameras should be disabled.
Additionally, parents would be wise to understand the toys better than their children and to ensure they have control of them — and not the other way around.
Komando also recommended that adults read and understand the privacy policy of their respective “smart” gadgets, whenever they might arrive. She believes some might be on the market as soon as this coming Christmas.
“Make sure there’s a way to reset the toy to erase its capabilities and memory,” she cautioned.
The tech guru cited Mattel’s ill-fated 2015 Hello Barbie, which used WiFi to store conversations with children and ended up non-compliant with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act, as cause for caution.
The doll has since been discontinued, according to CNBC.
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