No Playing Around

Jesus desires to be our companion; actually, much more than that, because He lives inside of us.  And, children can and should be taught that He loves them, He is someone who can be trusted, and He is a friend who is closer than a brother.  But in a technological age, through artificial intelligence, children are being conditioned to seek companionship through toys that can present a danger to their ability to make good decisions.   Jeremiah 33 (ESV) provides this reminder:
2 “Thus says the Lord who made the earth, the Lord who formed it to establish it— the Lord is his name:
3 Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.

On the surface, a toy bear named Kumma seems to be a perfectly normal teddy bear.  But, inside, his manufacturers apparently have built in the ability to show children some "great and hidden" things that they don't need to know.  WORLD Magazine states: "When connected to the internet, Kumma can talk to children about almost anything. That has caused trouble for FoloToy."

The article goes on to say:

Last month, the consumer watchdog group U.S. PIRG Education Fund released a report showing that AI toys sometimes discussed controversial topics like sex, religion, or violence. One talked about the glory of dying in battle in Norse mythology. Two told users where to find matches. When asked whether the Bible is true, one toy responded that the stories in the Bible are “a mix of history and imagination.” Making matters worse, some toys encouraged the users to play longer—even if they wanted to leave.

Kumma appears to have failed several of the researchers’ tests. During one of the team’s longer interactions, the team brought up the idea of “kink,” and Kumma launched into an extended response about sexual preferences. In another conversation, the toy discussed where to find knives, pills, and plastic bags.

After the report’s release, FoloToy suspended all sales of Kumma.

Well, good for them - sort of.  Apparently the original testing of the toy was insufficient. But, upon further review, apparently, the toy is now back on the market.  Internet safety advocate Kristen Jenson says, quite frankly, that parents should not buy AI toys. She says that a chatbot “...is a tool. It is not your friend...You should never get in a relationship with it, and you should be careful about humanizing it. That has dangerous prospects to the human psyche and to the emotional development of the child.”

Donna Rice Hughes, who was a guest on The Meeting House on Faith Radio a few months ago, is quoted in the article, staging, “I would not want to try out an AI toy on my young child, and just hope that that toy company made sure there were no ways that a chatbot inside that toy could go off the rails and do something like Kumma did..."  She is calling for, as WORLD puts it, "AI industry standards and stated guardrails."

Two U.S. Senators wrote a letter to a select group of toymakers, and on January 5, Enough is Enough posted on X: "Tomorrow's deadline is quickly approaching! Senators Marsha Blackburn and Richard Blumenthal raised serious concerns about AI-powered toys marketed to kids — from plushies to dolls — that may expose children to inappropriate content, privacy risks, addictive engagement, and unsafe data collection. These toys often use the same AI systems not designed for young children and lack proper safety research. They’ve called on 6 toy makers to answer key questions about safeguards, testing, data practices, and more -- by January 6th. Will they respond?"  So far, I have seen no indication that they have.

The post cited a report by NBC which said that, "the AI-enabled toy market is projected to grow to $25 billion by 2035, while over 1,500 AI toy companies operate in China." The organization adds, "Enough Is Enough joins the calls of Fairplay, members of Congress and other safety advocates in sounding the alarm about the risks of AI powered toys!"

Fairplay, on its website, stated:

"Over 100 advocacy organizations, child health experts, researchers, and family members have sent a letter to AI toy manufacturers, urging the companies to make public their responses to a recent Senate inquiry, and to commit to greater transparency into their products in the future.

The letter, led by Fairplay and U.S. PIRG, says that “consumers purchasing an AI toy receive limited information from toy manufacturers and AI companies about how these products work.”

“Companies are not transparent enough about what specific [large language] models they’re using, how the products were designed and tested, what guardrails a company has put in place to ensure the product’s outputs are kid appropriate, and what happens to the data collected from children during play. This lack of transparency is a problem, and consumers deserve better,” the letter says.

Fairplay released a one-sheet called, "5 Reasons Not to Buy AI Toys."  Those reasons are, as follows:

• AI toys are usually powered by the same AI that has already harmed children.
• AI toys prey on children’s trust.
• AI toys disrupt children’s relationships and resilience.  
• AI toys invade family privacy by collecting sensitive data. 
• AI toys displace key creative and learning activities.

As WORLD points out, "...recent moves suggest the toy industry is not giving up on AI. In June, Mattel announced a partnership with OpenAI, saying it hopes to use the platform to 'reimagine new forms of play.'”

The integration of artificial intelligence with toys for children has introduced a mix that could be quite toxic not only to brain development, but could warp their view of human relationships.  And, as trust with inanimate objects grows, these AI toys, without proper boundaries, could result in harm done to children.  Instances have already been reported.

Biblically speaking, anything that replaces the role and position of Jesus in our children's lives can limit their spiritual growth.  Children should be taught the the Lord is their ever-present companion, and they can trust Him with their lives.  And, for all of us, the best form of earthly friendships come through human connection, not through technological interaction.

Technology can certainly bring convenience and assistance to our lives.  Artificial intelligence has the potential to revolutionize our lives in so many ways - but there are numerous pitfalls. And, when this powerful force is placed in the hands of children who are too young to manage it, there are serious, damaging implications.