Nonprofit organization Fairplay released an advisory urging parents to avoid artificial intelligence-based children’s toys during the holidays. These AI toys include chatbots embedded in plushies, dolls, action figures and robots that communicate like friends, with examples including Miko, Curio Interactive’s Grok and Gabbo, Smart Teddy, FoloToy’s Kumma bear, Roybi and Keyi Technology’s Loona Robot Dog. “Young children are especially susceptible to the potential harms of these toys, such as invading their privacy, collecting data, engendering false trust and friendship, and displacing what they need to thrive, like human-to-human interactions,” said Rachel Franz, Fairplay program director. Singapore-based FoloToy suspended sales of its Kumma bear after it gave inappropriate advice about sexual topics and dangerous activities. (Story URL)
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