AI toys are telling kids how to find knives, and senators are mad
Sexual fetish content. How to light a match. Where to find knives in the home.
These are all conversation topics that recently-recalled children's toys - built atop AI chatbots like OpenAI's GPT-4o - are capable of bringing up to children. On Tuesday, U.S. senators Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) sent a letter to toy companies about their concerns - including a list of questions and a deadline for the companies to respond by January 6, 2026.
"Many of these toys are not offering interactive play, but instead are exposing children to inappropriate content, privacy risks, and manipulative engagement tactics," the …