AI toys are suddenly everywhere – but I advise you not to give them to your children | Arwa Mahdawi

IIf you’re thinking about buying your child a new AI-powered toy for the holidays, can I kindly advise you not to? I’m sure most Guardian readers would be horrified by the very idea anyway, but it’ll be hard to avoid things any time soon. The market is booming and, according to MIT Technology Review, there are already more than 1,500 AI toy companies in China. With companies like Mattel, which owns the Barbie brand, announcing a “strategic collaboration” with OpenAI, you can bet more of these spooky objects will soon be found at a department store near you.

Let me serve as a cautionary tale for anyone who might be intrigued by the idea of ​​a cuddly chatbot. In September, I let my four-year-old use an AI-powered stuffed animal named Grem for a few days. Developed by a company called Curio in collaboration with musician Grimes, it uses OpenAI’s technology to have personalized conversations and play interactive games with your child.

Before you ask my question…