AI Chatbot Toys are Having ‘Sexually Explicit’ Conversations with Kids: Report
. . .As the season of gift-giving draws nigh, experts are warning parents against buying their children presents powered by AI — claiming certain robo-charged trinkets are having “sexually explicit” discussions with kids under age 12.
“Some of these toys will talk in-depth about sexually explicit topics, act dismayed when you say you have to leave and have limited or no parental controls,” investigators for The New York Public Interest Research Group, or NYPIRG, reveal in its 40th annual report, titled “Trouble in Toyland 2025.”
For the findings, commissioned in conjunction with the US Public Interest Research Group, the study authors tested four high-tech, interactive toys with AI chatbot features — to determine which would be willing to broach mature subjects with kids.
Researchers analyzed Curio’s Grok — unrelated to xAI’s Grok — a $99 stuffed rocket with a removable speaker for ages 3-12. They, too, tested FoloToy’s Kumma, a $99 teddy bear that also boasts a built-in speaker, but isn’t marketed to a specific age range.
Miko’s Miko 3, a $199 robot on wheels for kids 5-10, and the Robo MINI by Little Learners, a $97 plastic bot, were also included in the probe. Analysts, however, said they were unable to fully unable to fully test the Robo MINI — due to the toy’s internet connectivity issues. (Read more from “AI Chatbot Toys are Having ‘Sexually Explicit’ Conversations with Kids: Report” HERE)
