As AI Toys Become The Next Big Thing, Researchers Warn Of The 'Parasocial' Trap For Under-5s

Mya (left) and Vicky (right) play with an AI-powered toy as part of the study.

AI-powered toys that “talk” with young children should be more tightly regulated, suggests a report from the University of Cambridge. 

Researchers at the university explored how generative AI toys capable of human-like conversation may influence development in the years up to age five. 

The year-long project included scientific observations of children interacting with a GenAI toy for the first time.