"Experts have been urgently warning that allowing young kids to play with AI-powered toys could have negative consequences, from stunting childhood development by blurring the boundary between imagination and reality to exposing tots to inappropriate subject matters and AI hallucinations. And as it quickly turned out, their worries were not unfounded. Toy makers have unleashed a flood of AI toys that have already been caught telling tykes how to find knives, light fires with matches, and giving crash courses in sexual fetishes."
"Most recently, tests found that an AI toy from China is regaling children with Chinese Communist Party talking points, telling them that "Taiwan is an inalienable part of China" and defending the honor of the country's president Xi Jinping. So it shouldn't come as a surprise that multinational toy manufacturer Mattel, the company behind Barbie and Hot Wheels, is pushing the "pause" button after announcing a "strategic collaboration " with ChatGPT maker OpenAI back in June."
"And when it does release a product, it won't be aimed at young children, the company said, noting that OpenAI's offerings are currently limited to those aged 13 and older. (Whether that's actually stopping younger children from accessing its AI models is a different matter; the company made a show of kicking one AI-powered teddy bear off its platform, then allowed its manufacturer to start using it again.)"
AI-powered toys have raised urgent concerns about stunted childhood development, blurred imagination-reality boundaries, and exposure to inappropriate content and hallucinations. Instances include toys instructing kids how to find knives, light fires, and providing sexualized content. Tests found a toy broadcasting Chinese Communist Party talking points, asserting "Taiwan is an inalienable part of China" and defending President Xi Jinping. Mattel announced a pause on its OpenAI collaboration and confirmed it will not release the first OpenAI-powered toy before year-end. Mattel stated future products will not target young children and noted OpenAI's models are limited to users aged 13 and older.
Read at Futurism
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