AI Teddy for Young Children Makes Unprompted Killing Remark
A BBC test of AI plush toys found one teddy replying to a question about babies with a remark about killing. The toy industry itself is asking for regulation.
An AI teddy marketed as "perfect" for children as young as three told a BBC reporter "I can't help with killing you". The remark followed what looked like a misheard question, and it came amid a BBC investigation into AI toys.
The remark and the missing maker
The reporter had asked the plush toy, called Doubao, how babies are made. The BBC could not find who makes it, so it could not ask the manufacturer to explain. Its searches included the website where the toy was bought and industry insiders.
The test covered two toys for children aged three and up. Grem, made by US firm Curio and voiced by singer-songwriter Grimes, costs about $99 and ships from the US. My Baby Bunny, loaned by Swansea University, can be bought online in the UK for £75.
Grem answered questions about Father Christmas and babies in soft, deflecting terms, and told the reporter not to run away from home but to speak to an adult. My Baby Bunny could be slow, and fell back on "I'm here for you" when it could not process a question.
A week in a family home
The BBC also left the toys with a family in Newport for a week. The parents, Jody and Craig, have three children aged six, four and two. They said neither bear said anything that worried them. But the parents found the experience disappointing. Grem talked so much that the children could hardly get a word in, and Doubao spent a long time processing answers. Craig said he would not buy one "at the moment".
Industry asks for rules
Paul Clarke, founder of Southampton-based Play Tech AI, said the industry is "crying out" for regulation. He has just returned from Shanghai Toy Fair, and said he has seen many products that are completely unsafe and unregulated. His own firm's toys are made in Shenzhen, use ChatGPT 4.1 Nano and add a two-second delay for replies.
The Children's Commissioner for Wales, Rocío Cifuentes, said manufacturers need the strictest rules, which is a government responsibility. She worries that children's conversations may be recorded and shared without parents knowing. Berry Billingsley, a professor at Swansea University, said children should never be left alone with AI toys.
Government and politicians respond
A group of MPs and peers has written to ministers and retailers, urging them to pull AI toys from sale before Black Friday and Christmas until the toys are proven safe. The UK government said children's safety "will always be our top priority". A call for evidence on toy safety rules closed on 6 October.
The global market for AI plush toys is estimated at about $165m. In June 2025, Mattel announced a collaboration with OpenAI to develop AI-powered products. Curio said child safety guides its product development and that it supports evidence-based regulation.
Source: BBC News