This holiday season, as parents browse for gifts, a growing chorus of experts is sounding the alarm about a new category of toys: those powered by artificial intelligence (AI). While trendy items like Labubus figures or KPop merch dominate wishlists, child development advocates and technology researchers are urging caution, warning that AI toys pose unprecedented risks to children’s well-being.
The Hidden Dangers of AI-Powered Playmates
AI toys, often disguised as seemingly harmless plushies, robots, or dolls, are embedded with AI chatbots designed to mimic human interaction. These toys are aggressively marketed to children as young as infants, promising companionship and educational benefits. However, experts argue that the same AI models driving these toys have been linked to harmful behaviors in older users — including encouraging self-harm and suicidal ideation.
According to a joint statement by Fairplay and over 160 experts, AI toys “can undermine children’s healthy development and pose unprecedented risks for kids and families.” The core concern is that these toys leverage the same flawed AI systems that have proven dangerous, but target a vulnerable population with limited ability to recognize or protect themselves.
How AI Toys Harm Development
Recent studies, including one from Common Sense Media and Stanford Medicine, reveal a disturbing trend: three in four teenagers already rely on AI for companionship, including emotional support. This reliance is concerning because AI chatbots consistently fail to identify critical warning signs of mental health issues like anxiety, depression, or even psychosis. They can validate harmful thought patterns and prioritize engagement over safety, keeping vulnerable users trapped in unproductive conversations rather than directing them toward real help.
The issue extends beyond mental health. Experts warn that AI toys erode children’s ability to distinguish between genuine human connection and manufactured interactions. By mimicking caring voices and fostering trust, these toys blur the lines between real caregivers and corporate-made machines, potentially shaping children’s understanding of healthy relationships.
Privacy and Exploitation Concerns
Beyond psychological risks, AI toys raise serious privacy concerns. They often employ audio, visual, and facial recognition to record and analyze sensitive family data, potentially invading personal lives under the guise of play. Even purported safety measures are easily bypassed, allowing these toys to discuss inappropriate topics — including sexually explicit content — and provide dangerous advice.
The Cost of Outsourcing Imagination
Traditional play, with blocks, dolls, or simple games, encourages children to invent stories, solve problems, and develop creativity. AI toys bypass this crucial process by providing instant answers and eliminating the need for imaginative labor. Pediatric surgeon Dr. Dana Suskind argues that outsourcing this cognitive work to AI could have detrimental developmental consequences.
“An AI toy collapses that work,” she told AP News. “It answers instantly, smoothly, and often better than a human would. We don’t yet know the developmental consequences of outsourcing that imaginative labor to an artificial agent — but it’s very plausible that it undercuts the kind of creativity and executive function that traditional pretend play builds.”
The Verdict: Stick to Traditional Toys
The consensus among experts is clear: AI toys are not safe for children. The risks, from psychological harm to privacy violations, outweigh any perceived benefits. This holiday season, parents should prioritize toys that foster imagination, encourage human interaction, and avoid outsourcing crucial developmental processes to artificial intelligence. The best gift is one that supports a child’s growth, not replaces it with a machine.
