How do AI-Powered Toys Affect Children’s Emotional Development?
A recent study on AI-powered children’s toys reveals that these technologies are not as harmless as thought. Initial findings show that smart toys interacting with children fail to accurately perceive emotions, and their responses are often inappropriate for the context.
As part of the study conducted by Cambridge University, the communication between children aged 3 to 5 and an AI-powered toy named “Gabbo” was examined. According to the research results, Gabbo struggles to correctly understand what the children are saying and, consequently, can produce unexpected or out-of-context responses. The failure of children to receive adequate and accurate feedback from Gabbo in response to their emotional expressions stands out as one of the main problems highlighted by the researchers.
Experts emphasize that this communication breakdown should not be considered merely a technical perception inadequacy, but that the issue also involves a dimension of psychological safety. It is stated that young children, in particular, might confuse these artificial interactions established with AI with real social communication, and this situation could create confusion in their perception of reality.
To prevent these potential risks, the study includes important recommendations for families. It is underlined that parents should ensure the use of AI-powered toys takes place in shared spaces where children are not left alone, and that they should carefully read the privacy policies of the devices. The research points to the need for a more cautious and supervised approach regarding AI applications aimed at children.