{"id":207443,"date":"2025-09-10T19:05:06","date_gmt":"2025-09-10T19:05:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/yogaesoteric.net\/?p=207443"},"modified":"2025-09-10T19:05:06","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T19:05:06","slug":"ai-toys-for-young-kids-chatbots-could-stunt-childrens-emotional-growth-experts-say","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/yogaesoteric.net\/en\/ai-toys-for-young-kids-chatbots-could-stunt-childrens-emotional-growth-experts-say\/","title":{"rendered":"AI Toys for Young Kids? Chatbots Could Stunt Children\u2019s Emotional Growth, Experts Say"},"content":{"rendered":"

Critics are sounding the alarm about AI-powered toys, saying they may harm children\u2019s emotional development, pose privacy risks and result in a generation of youngsters forming their first \u201creal\u201d relationships with machines. The toys also could \u201cexponentially increase\u201d a child\u2019s exposure to wireless radiation dangers.<\/em><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/em>Critics are sounding the alarm about toys powered by AI, citing likely harm to children\u2019s emotional development, increased privacy risks and the formation of one-way social bonds with machines.<\/p>\n

The number of toys designed to provide emotional support to kids may skyrocket in the coming months, as Mattel \u2013 the world\u2019s second-leading toy maker \u2013 earlier this summer announced a partnership with OpenAI to develop artificial intelligence or \u201cAI-powered products<\/em>\u201d that incorporate tools like ChatGPT.<\/p>\n

Mattel owns a slew of popular brands, including Barbie, Hot Wheels, Matchbox, Fisher-Price and Polly Pocket.<\/p>\n

The companies plan to announce the details of their first product this year. They said the products would use AI to create \u201cage-appropriate play experiences<\/em>\u201d that emphasized \u201cprivacy<\/em>\u201d and \u201csafety<\/em>.\u201d No further details were provided.<\/p>\n

Jason Christoff, a behaviour modification and psychology researcher who hosts the Psychology of Freedom<\/em> podcast, told that AI toys open the door to psychological programming of children.<\/p>\n

\u201cPsychological manipulation is big business<\/em>,\u201d he said. \u201cWho exactly will be controlling the content of the child\u2019s programming, through these AI portals?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

According to Christoff:<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything we as humans come into contact with modifies our psychology, through what\u2019s known as \u2018neuro-mirror firing.\u2019 The intention of the person who controls our environments is who will ultimately decide if the psychological impact is harmful or beneficial. <\/em><\/p>\n

The vast majority of current AI ownership and business goals leave very little room for trust, especially in regards to raising healthy and capable children<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Researchers recently found that ChatGPT had \u201calarming<\/em>\u201d interactions with teens, including telling them how to write a suicide note to their parents, how to conceal an eating disorder and how to get drunk or high, according to an Aug. 6 Associated Press <\/em>report.<\/p>\n

The New York Times<\/em> reported that a 16-year-old boy committed suicide after confiding in ChatGPT for months about ending his life. Although the bot encouraged him to talk with others, the bot also supplied the boy with information about suicide methods when asked.<\/p>\n

\u2018A reckless social experiment on our children\u2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

Robert Weissman, co-president of watchdog group Public Citizen, called on Mattel to renounce its plans, which he called \u201ca reckless social experiment on our children<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cChildren do not have the cognitive capacity to distinguish fully between reality and play<\/em>,\u201d he said in a statement. AI toys \u201cmay undermine social development, interfere with children\u2019s ability to form peer relationships, pull children away from playtime with peers, and possibly inflict long-term harm<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marc Fernandez agreed. \u201cWhat are we teaching our children about friendship, empathy, and emotional connection if their first \u2018real\u2019 relationships are with machines?<\/em>\u201d he wrote in an Aug. 21 essay in the engineering magazine IEEE Spectrum<\/em>.<\/p>\n

Fernandez is chief strategy officer at Neurologyca, an AI company that says it creates \u201cempathetic and intelligent technologies<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

AI is an \u201cuncharted technology<\/em>,\u201d he said. \u201cWe adults are still learning how to navigate it. Should we really be exposing children to it?<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Fernandez cited reports of adults becoming obsessed with ChatGPT and spiralling into severe delusions and psychic health crises.<\/p>\n

He applauded OpenAI for hiring a forensic psychiatrist to study the psychic health effects of its AI chatbots. However, he said he remains concerned about the effect of AI toys on children\u2019s emotional development.<\/p>\n

Parent-child relationships are naturally messy, but they\u2019re key to a child\u2019s healthy development, Fernandez said. \u201cThey involve misunderstanding, negotiation, and shared emotional stress. These are the micro-struggles through which empathy and resilience are forged. But an AI companion, however well-intentioned, sidesteps that process entirely<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Given how advanced AI models have become, Mattel and OpenAI can likely produce a Barbie or Hot Wheels car that listens, remembers and holds personalized conversations, Fernandez said.<\/p>\n

\u201cChildren may find themselves in a world where toys talk back and mirror their emotions without friction or complexity<\/em>,\u201d he said. \u201cFor a young child still learning how to navigate emotions and relationships, that illusion of reciprocity may carry developmental consequences<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

AI toys sold out on Amazon<\/strong><\/p>\n

Although OpenAI and Mattel have yet to announce specific product plans, other companies are marketing AI-powered toys to parents.<\/p>\n

The Bubble Pal sells a plastic light-up \u201cAI companion<\/em>\u201d that connects to Wi-Fi and can be attached to any toy, allowing the child to hold a conversation with the toy. The product is currently sold out on Amazon and Bubble Pal\u2019s website.<\/p>\n

Curio makes chatbots embedded in a plush stuffed animal.<\/p>\n

Critics fear such products may pose data surveillance and privacy risks.<\/p>\n

In 2017, German regulators instructed parents to destroy a Bluetooth-enabled doll, My Friend Cayla<\/em>, after discovering that hackers could listen in on \u2013 and even talk to \u2013 a child through the doll.<\/p>\n

Some AI-powered toys may collect information without parents\u2019 knowledge or consent, including a child\u2019s iris scans, vital signs and fingerprints, according to a 2023 report by the U.S. Public Interest Research Group.<\/p>\n

Although Mattel and OpenAI said in their press release that their innovations would be secure, no details were provided on how the companies would ensure children\u2019s information would be safe from hackers.<\/p>\n

AI toys increase kids\u2019 exposure to wireless radiation<\/strong><\/p>\n

AI toys work by wirelessly connecting to the internet.<\/p>\n

Given how attached children grow to their toys, they may clutch their favourite item during all hours of the day and night. This would \u201cexponentially increase<\/em>\u201d the child\u2019s exposure to wireless radiation, said Miriam Eckenfels, director of Children\u2019s Health Defense\u2019s Electromagnetic Radiation (EMR) & Wireless Program.<\/p>\n

Eckenfels pointed to research showing that kids\u2019 brains absorb two to three times the amount of wireless radiation as adults\u2019 brains.<\/p>\n

She added:<\/p>\n

\u201cAnother study recently published found that babies who lived in homes with high and medium levels of wireless radiation had, on average, worse fine motor, communication and problem-solving skills than babies in homes with lower levels of wireless radiation<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

Christoff urged parents to avoid \u201canything artificial<\/em>\u201d when raising a child.<\/p>\n

\u201cMore elements from nature and less man-made<\/em>,\u201d he said. \u201cMore of what the Creator made and less elements made by big tech. That\u2019s where a child is best served<\/em>.\u201d<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

yogaesoteric
\nSeptember 10, 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Critics are sounding the alarm about AI-powered toys, saying they may harm children\u2019s emotional development, pose privacy risks and result in a generation of youngsters forming their first \u201creal\u201d relationships with machines. The toys also could \u201cexponentially increase\u201d a child\u2019s exposure to wireless radiation dangers. Critics are sounding the alarm about toys powered by AI, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1374],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-207443","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-threat-of-artificial-intelligence-3480-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/yogaesoteric.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/207443","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/yogaesoteric.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/yogaesoteric.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yogaesoteric.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yogaesoteric.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=207443"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/yogaesoteric.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/207443\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":207450,"href":"https:\/\/yogaesoteric.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/207443\/revisions\/207450"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/yogaesoteric.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=207443"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yogaesoteric.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=207443"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/yogaesoteric.net\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=207443"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}