A parent’s guide to buying an AI toy

If you’re considering purchasing an AI toy for a child in your life, pause to consider the story of Kumma the teddy bear.

The AI plush toy powered by ChatGPT managed to shock safety researchers with its candid discussion of kink. Without much prompting, the talking bear covered fetishes like restraint, role play, and using objects that make an impact.

“It even asked one of our researchers, ‘So what do you think would be fun to explore?'” says R.J. Cross, director of the Our Online Life program for U.S. PIRG Education Fund, who led the testing. “It was pretty shocking.”