Researchers are calling for tighter regulation of AI-powered toys designed for toddlers, after conducting one of the first tests in the world to investigate how under-fives interact with the technology.
The study looked at how a small sample of children between the ages of three and five interacted with a cuddly toy called Gabbo.
A number of AI toys are already on the market for children aged as young as three but there is currently very little research into the impact of the tech on pre-schoolers.
The Cambridge University team found just seven relevant studies worldwide, none of which focused on the toddlers themselves.
Gabbo contains a voice-activated AI chatbot from OpenAI. It has been designed to encourage pre-schoolers to talk to it and carry out imaginative play.
Generative AI products in general need to be better regulated. With more and more consumers trusting the output of LLMs, companies can use them to collect more consumer data than ever before and infuse marketing and propaganda into LLM outputs with no distinction, to the detriment of the genuine sources of information upon which they depend.