“Endowing toys with human-seeming voices that are able to engage in human-like conversations risks inflicting real damage on children,” Weissman said. “It may undermine social development, interfere with children’s ability to form peer relationships, pull children away from playtime with peers, and possibly inflict long-term harm.”
I agree, and mental health reprecussions of conversing with a bot aren’t just a threat for children.
One anonymous source told Axios that Mattel’s plans for the AI partnership are still in “early stages,” so perhaps more will be revealed as Mattel gears up for its first launch. That source suggested that the first product would not be marketed to kids under 13
I wouldn’t think most youth 13 and above would be interested in a kids toy with a realistic voice, especially since they can just use something like Sesame AI on their phone.