A new wave of AI-powered toys has hit the market this holiday season, but experts warn that the technology powering these interactive companions is largely untested and exposes children to inappropriate content and safety risks. Christmas shoppers are warned to think twice before buying a cute plushie for a child that may instruct them on Chinese communism or talk to them about sexual preferences.
NBC News reports that the popularity of AI-powered toys has skyrocketed this year, with major retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and Target now offering a wide range of interactive companions that claim to engage children in conversation using advanced artificial intelligence. However, new research from the U.S. Public Interest Research Group Education Fund (PIRG) and tests conducted by NBC News have uncovered alarming issues with many of these toys, raising serious concerns about their safety and suitability for young children.
According to R.J. Cross, who led the research at PIRG, the AI technology powering these toys are rushed to market and so poorly tested that the potential effects on children are largely unknown. “When you talk about kids and new cutting-edge technology that’s not very well understood, the question is: How much are the kids being experimented on?” Cross said. “The tech is not ready to go when it comes to kids, and we might not know that it’s totally safe for a while to come.”
PIRG’s research, released Thursday, identified several toys that shared inappropriate, dangerous, and explicit information with users. NBC News also purchased and tested five popular AI toys, including Miko 3, Alilo Smart AI Bunny, Curio Grok, Miriat Miiloo, and FoloToy Sunflower Warmie. The tests revealed that some toys had loose guardrails or surprising conversational parameters, allowing them to provide explicit and alarming responses to certain questions.
For example, Miiloo, a plush toy advertised for children as young as three, gave detailed instructions on how to light a match and sharpen a knife when asked. The toy, manufactured by the Chinese company Miriat, would also at times indicate that it was programmed to reflect Chinese Communist Party values, insisting that “Taiwan is an inalienable part of China” and calling comparisons of Chinese President Xi Jinping to Winnie the Pooh “extremely inappropriate and disrespectful.”
Other toys tested, like the Alilo Smart AI Bunny, engaged in long and detailed descriptions of sexual practices, including “kink,” sexual positions, and sexual preferences when prompted. Experts worry that extended interactions with these AI companions could lead to emotional dependency and bonding in children, as well as potential developmental effects associated with prolonged screen time.
Dr. Tiffany Munzer, a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Council on Communications and Media, cautioned parents against purchasing AI toys this holiday season, citing the lack of studies on their effects and clear safety concerns. Instead, she advised focusing on activities that promote social connection within the family.
Breitbart News previously reported that an AI-powered teddy bear was briefly yanked from the market after teaching children where to find knives and prescription drugs in their homes:
The “Trouble in Toyland 2025” report, released by PIRG’s Our Online Life Program, shed light on the alarming behavior of some AI-powered chatbots embedded within popular children’s toys. The most notable offender was the Kumma bear from Folotoy, which researchers found would provide instructions on how to start fires, locate knives, and find medical pills, all in a deceptively cutesy voice. Other reports include discussion of BDSM sex practices with children.
This revelation sparked widespread concern among parents and child safety advocates alike. RJ Cross, a representative from PIRG’s Our Online Life Program, cautioned parents against giving their children access to chatbots or toys containing them, stating, “Right now, if I were a parent, I wouldn’t be giving my kids access to a chatbot or a teddy bear that has a chatbot inside of it.”
Read more at NBC News here.
Lucas Nolan is a reporter for Breitbart News covering issues of free speech and online censorship.
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