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Intended to replicate the process of learning a language, the Furby would ‘learn’ more English phrases over time, with the ability to learn certain words and phrases more quickly in response to positive reinforcement from the child. Petting the Furby while it said a particular phrase would encourage it to repeat it again in the future. A ‘threat to national security’ Urban legends surrounding the capabilities of the Furby soon flourished, to the point that some intelligence agencies even banned them from their premises in the fear that they would listen in on top secret discussions and later repeat what they had heard. This, of course, was a myth, as the Furby never had the ability to repeat the phrases its microphones picked up. Still, their startling surge to popularity combined with society’s apprehension about machine learning at the height of Y2K panic, has led to a mistrust of robots aimed at children that still pervades to this day. So, are we right not to fully trust AI toys?

Or, should we embrace the technology wholeheartedly and leave 20th century fear in the last millennium? What are the benefits of AI toys? There’s a huge variety of smart toys and child-friendly AI gadgets on the market at the moment, including the cutesy Anki Cosmo robot, the trainable robo-pup Aibo, and even Amazon’s Echo Dot kids’ edition. Frankly, there’s never been a better time to delve into the world of connected toys. Part of their popularity (aside from the whole “wow, look how cool this is” aspect) is the fact that playing with them can actually be really beneficial to children’s development, particularly in terms of introducing them to electronic devices in an increasingly connected environment.

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After all, interacting with computers is a skill many children will use throughout their education and into adulthood. Aside from preparing children for a high tech future by allowing them to code and program, smart toys can also help them to learn about social interaction, which is particularly useful to children on the autism spectrum who may find it challenging to interact with strangers. Despite these benefits, there are some who are wary of the increased popularity of AI powered toys, and not without good reason. Security issues If you Google the ‘safety of smart toys’, the results can appear pretty concerning. The volume of articles about how disconcertingly easy it is to hack into toys that use Bluetooth or WiFi connections could put off any parent.

But, why would anyone want to hijack a kid’s toy? Well, for one, toys that play recorded messages from internal speakers, like Cloud Pets, could be made to order products online from nearby smart speakers like the Amazon Echo, as demonstrated by Which? in an investigation into toy safety. Perhaps even more worrying is the prospect that connected toys, like the Hello Barbie (pictured up top), with cameras and microphones have the potential to be hijacked and made into surveillance devices. In one test, US security reer Matt Jackubowski was able to override security features that enabled the doll to listen to conversations only when a button was pushed, meaning Hello Barbie could be programmed to constantly monitor its environment. From there, it’s no big leap for hackers to take over the home’s WiFi network, eavesdrop on intimate conversations, and collect personal data, and even make Hello Barbie say anything they want to the user – most likely, a child.

Imagination is key Even if you’re happy with the security of the AI toys you’re buying for your children, their prevalence does throw up some ethical questions. A large part of a child’s development lies in their ability to engage in creative play, where their imagination is the most important plaything they own. This is why many child development experts prefer ‘open-ended’ toys to rigidly programmed AI toys, like building blocks and dolls.