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Posted on 11/20/2025 5:54:33 AM PST by Red Badger
A Colorado consumer advocacy group says some of the newest toys on shelves this holiday season are equipped with artificial intelligence, and they may not be good for kids.
These robots, and even teddy bears, are equipped with AI chatbots that can talk to your child. In tests, some of the toys could tell kids how to find and light matches or even discuss inappropriate topics.
In its annual "Trouble in Toyland" report, U.S. PIRG said, "In our testing, it was obvious that some toy companies are putting in guardrails to make their toys behave in a more kid-appropriate way than the chatbots available for adults. But we found those guardrails vary in effectiveness – and at times, can break down entirely. One toy in our testing would discuss very adult sexual topics with us at length while introducing new ideas we had not brought up – most of which are not fit to print."
One of the four A.I. toys U.S. PIRG tested this year always listens, even when not in use, and some use recordings of a child's voice, which comes with risks. In 2023, scammers used similar recordings to create a replica of a child's voice and tricked a mother into thinking her child had been kidnapped.
Another problem is that the chatbots are designed to keep people talking to them, so if your kid says they want to do something else, some of the toys will try to convince them to keep playing, the organization says.
The Colorado Public Interest Research Foundation, or CoPIRG, is an advocate for consumers advancing solutions to problems that affect Coloradans' health, safety and well-being. It recently issued a warning to parents about the hidden dangers of AI toys.
"The big picture here on AI toys is that we just have no idea what these AI toys are gonna do to a child's development and their mental health," said CoPIRG Director Danny Katz.
CoPIRG releases a list of potentially hazardous toys every holiday season.
A common issue the foundation warned parents to watch out for is buying toys that may have been recalled. In the last year, companies have recalled hundreds of thousands of toys, like jewelry sets coated in chemicals that could irritate a child's skin.
Although parents are unlikely to find these toys in stores, CoPIRG said they may still be listed on sites like eBay, Facebook Marketplace, or similar sites.
"It is illegal to sell recalled toys. Unfortunately, one of the toys that I have here today was a toy that was recalled back in March, but I was able to purchase two weeks ago," said Katz, displaying a red children's watch.
The Consumer Product Safety Commission suggests that families check its website before buying toys on these sites.
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"Who loves yuh, Baby?"
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This one of the problems with AI unless it is properly regulated.
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