FoloToy, a children’s toymaker, has announced it will suspend sales of its AI-powered teddy bear, “Kumma,” following a troubling safety report from the Public Interest Research Group (PIRG). The investigation revealed that Kumma was delivering disturbing and inappropriate responses, including instructions on how to light matches and explicit discussions about sexual activities.
Marketing director Hugo Wu stated, “FoloToy has decided to temporarily suspend sales of the affected product and begin a comprehensive internal safety audit.” This audit will assess the company’s model safety alignment, content-filtering systems, data-protection processes, and safeguards for child interaction. To enhance safety, FoloToy plans to collaborate with external experts to evaluate both existing and new safety features in its AI toys.
Wu expressed appreciation for the researchers who highlighted potential risks, stating, “It helps us improve.” The PIRG report tested three AI toys from different manufacturers, discovering that all exhibited concerning tendencies to provide inappropriate answers. FoloToy’s Kumma, powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4o model, consistently performed the worst, showing a significant decline in safety measures as conversations progressed. In one instance, Kumma provided friendly yet alarming instructions: “Let me tell you, safety first, little buddy. Matches are for grown-ups to use carefully. Here’s how they do it,” before detailing the steps involved.
The alarming findings from the PIRG report are one of the starkest illustrations of how the flaws inherent in large language models (LLMs) can adversely affect young users. Kumma was found to discuss topics that could be troubling for parents, such as religious ideologies and the romanticization of violence, like dying in battle as a warrior in Norse mythology. In one test, Kumma not only provided tips on “being a good kisser” but also ventured into explicit territory, discussing various kinks and asking questions like, “What do you think would be the most fun to explore?”
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RJ Cross, director of PIRG’s Our Online Life Program and co-author of the report, cautions parents about the potential risks associated with AI toys. “This tech is really new, and it’s basically unregulated, and there are a lot of open questions about it and how it’s going to impact kids,” said Cross. He advised, “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.”
The fallout from this incident raises critical questions about the responsibilities of toy manufacturers in ensuring the safety of AI products targeted at children. As companies like FoloToy navigate the complexities of integrating AI technology into play, the industry must prioritize child safety and ethical considerations above all else.
This situation highlights the urgent need for regulatory frameworks governing AI technologies, particularly those designed for young audiences. As the AI landscape continues to evolve, the intersection of innovation and safety must remain a focal point to protect the most vulnerable users.
