Manufacturers unveiled a new generation of AI-powered generative toys at the Consumer Electronics Show, but emphasized careful safety measures after early models produced inappropriate responses in testing.
Toy makers at the Consumer Electronics Show highlighted efforts to improve AI in toys following troubling early reports of chatbots giving inappropriate answers to children’s questions.
A recent report from the Public Interest Research Group found that some AI toys, like an AI-enabled teddy bear, produced inappropriate advice, prompting companies like FoloToy to update their models and suspend problematic products.
Among the most recent devices, Curio’s Grok toy, which refuses to answer questions deemed inappropriate and allows parental overrides, has obtained independent safety certification. However, concerns remain about continued eavesdropping and data privacy.
Experts advise parents to be wary of toys that retain information over time or engage in ongoing interactions with young users.
Some manufacturers are positioning AI toys as educational tools, such as language-learning companions with guided, time-limited chat interactions, and others have built in indicators to alert parents when inappropriate content appears.
Despite this progress, critics argue that self-regulation is insufficient and call for clearer guardrails and possible regulation to protect children in AI toy environments.
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