Put down the AI toy: kids need you, not a robot
But the other day, while testing out Google Gemini 's live function, which is a generative AI capable of speaking in the polite, clipped British tones of Emma Thompson, an idea was born. 'Ask my phone how to spell elephant,' I told my daughter. She did, and Emma Thompson 2.0 (known henceforth as E.T. 2.0) politely acquiesced, spelling out the word and asking if my daughter would like to know anything else about elephants.
This became a half-hour conversation full of animal facts and names spelt out: 'Rhinoceros: R H I N O C E R O S,' E.T. 2.0 said without a single trace of irritation in her automated voice. I suddenly realised that E.T. 2.0 is a better mother than I am. But then another thought sparked, like a glitch: should I be letting my kids near generative AI?
There are plenty of robot mother stories populating science fiction lately. Last year's The Wild Robot made us fall in love with a robot that methodically teaches a baby duck to fly. In I Am Mother, from 2019, the robot mother in question is a little more sinister, more interested in genetic engineering than in baby ducks. We already have screen 'babysitters' for kids, such as Cocomelon, that rainbow-coloured lobotomy, but we need to brace ourselves for generative AI babysitters. Mattel has recently partnered with OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, which should raise concerns about our parenting future.
There are already a range of toys out there that use generative AI to 'talk' to kids, like singer Grimes' brainchild 'Grok', a chatty soft toy designed to lure kids away from screen time and back into the real world. Mattel released a 'talking' Barbie in 2015 ('think Siri, not ChatGPT' according to Vox), but privacy concerns made Mattel discontinue her in 2017. And yet, with this recent partnership with OpenAI, they're still trying.
Talking toys are creepy AF. Most parents have a horror story of their malfunctioning Bluey toy calling out 'Whackadoo!' in the dead of night under the bed, let alone throwing a chatty toy-bot in the mix. We can thank the films M3GAN and the recent sequel M3GAN 2.0, about a psychotic robot doll, for seeding our latest nightmares.
'Many parents want their children to understand emerging technologies. This leads to a mixed response of curiosity and concern,' Andrew McStay wrote in The Conversation. We know by now how tech companies feel about our personal information: playing around with it like a kid with a toy; and yet, despite our security concerns, we still willingly submit. No one wants to be left behind.
But after seeing my daughter chatting away with E.T. 2.0, my greater concern is that we're losing the ability to give our kids undivided attention. It's hard enough to resist screens with the pace of modern life, let alone being offered an even easier way out: a chatty robot who never tires of questions. And what about when we need to explain to our kids that their robo-toy doesn't really care about them? It'll be like telling them that Santa is the dude who runs the kebab shop with a fake beard all over again.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Perth Now
an hour ago
- Perth Now
Heavy traffic warning ahead of UK rapper's concert tonight
Main Roads has warned motorists about traffic congestion in Perth city ahead of Central Cee's concert at RAC Arena on Wednesday night. The 27-year-old British rapper, real name Oakley Neil Caesar-Su, is set to take the stage in front of thousands of fans at 9pm for the last show on his Can't Rush Greatness world tour. Doors to the arena open from 7pm, and Main Roads urged drivers on Wellington Street to drive with caution due to the increased number of vehicles and people in the area before and after the event. It comes after a 45-year-old man died after he was hit by a bus on Wellington Street while crossing the road about 6.15pm on June 20. Cee's tour comes off the back of the January release of his long-awaited debut studio album that features guest appearances from Young Miko, 21 Savage, Dave, Lil Durk, Skepta and Lil Baby. He has been playing sold-out shows across Europe, the UK, the US, Canada and New Zealand before heading Down Under to perform in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. Tickets to the Perth concert, which is two days before his birthday, are still available through Ticketek for $114.95. Regarded as a leading figure in UK rap, he rose to prominence in 2020 with the release of his drill singles Day in the Life and Loading. Other successful songs include Doja, Band4Band and Sprinter — the most streamed UK rap song last year. Aside from his music, Cee is also known for his streetwear fashion sense, often styling tracksuits, puffer jackets and skull caps. He even started a brand called Syna World in 2023 and has done some modelling for Nike and Jaquemus over the years. After his Perth concert, he will head to Saudi Arabia for a show on August 1.
Sky News AU
3 hours ago
- Sky News AU
Reform UK leader says the BBC has questions to answer about it's decision to stream an English punk group live which shouted anti IDF chant
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has said the BBC has questions to answer over its decision to air Bob Vylan's an anti-Israel chant from the Glastonbury Festival. British rapper Bobby Vylan - whose real name is Pascal Robinson-Foster - of punk duo Bob Vylan, led chants of 'death, death to the IDF' at the Glastonbury music festival over the weekend. Mr Farage said it was a disgrace that the set made it on air. 'This particular artist, the most extraordinary thing is that the BBC broadcast this live given that the BBC had 400 staff, can you believe it, 400 staff at Glastonbury, at no point, did anybody stop or pull this broadcast,' the Reform UK leader told Sky News host Paul Murray on Tuesday. Mr Farage linked the performance to the ongoing debate in the UK about the funding of the BBC, which in the UK, is paid for by a television license. 'There is always a debate in Britain, about how we fund the BBC, and whether people should go to jail for not paying a license fee,' he said. 'And frankly this row is going to run and run, and what happened, what was allowed to broadcast was disgraceful.' The license fee funds the BBC's domestic television channels, national and local radio stations and the BBC World Service which the SBS and ABC rebroadcast in Australia. The chants at the Glastonbury Festival have ignited an international and domestic row, with Bob Vylan, being banned from the United States, preventing him from attending a gig in New York. 'The State Department has revoked the US visas for the members of the Bob Vylan band in light of their hateful tirade at Glastonbury, including leading the crowd in death chants,' deputy Secretary of State, Christopher Landau said in a statement on X. The chants were also condemned by the UK Government, with UK Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy telling the parliament that the BBC had questions to answer. 'Avon and Somerset police have confirmed that video evidence is being assessed by officers to determine whether any offences may have been committed," she said. 'It just announced in the last few minutes that that is now taking the form of a criminal investigation,' she went on to say, confirming the UK government could not comment on the investigation. The opposition claimed the BBC had broken the law and should face charges. Shadow home secretary Chris Phelps said police should investigate and prosecute the BBC for broadcasting violence and hatred.
Sydney Morning Herald
9 hours ago
- Sydney Morning Herald
Put down the AI toy: kids need you, not a robot
There comes a time in every parent's life when you realise you need the mental grit of a hostage negotiator to withstand the rapid-fire questions from your small child. My six-year-old daughter is in her 'spelling' era. 'Mum, how do you spell 'elephant'? How do you spell 'vacuum'? How do you spell 'kitchen'?' I feel like I'm in a demented game show dreamt up in the literary circle of Hell. But the other day, while testing out Google Gemini 's live function, which is a generative AI capable of speaking in the polite, clipped British tones of Emma Thompson, an idea was born. 'Ask my phone how to spell elephant,' I told my daughter. She did, and Emma Thompson 2.0 (known henceforth as E.T. 2.0) politely acquiesced, spelling out the word and asking if my daughter would like to know anything else about elephants. This became a half-hour conversation full of animal facts and names spelt out: 'Rhinoceros: R H I N O C E R O S,' E.T. 2.0 said without a single trace of irritation in her automated voice. I suddenly realised that E.T. 2.0 is a better mother than I am. But then another thought sparked, like a glitch: should I be letting my kids near generative AI? There are plenty of robot mother stories populating science fiction lately. Last year's The Wild Robot made us fall in love with a robot that methodically teaches a baby duck to fly. In I Am Mother, from 2019, the robot mother in question is a little more sinister, more interested in genetic engineering than in baby ducks. We already have screen 'babysitters' for kids, such as Cocomelon, that rainbow-coloured lobotomy, but we need to brace ourselves for generative AI babysitters. Mattel has recently partnered with OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, which should raise concerns about our parenting future. There are already a range of toys out there that use generative AI to 'talk' to kids, like singer Grimes' brainchild 'Grok', a chatty soft toy designed to lure kids away from screen time and back into the real world. Mattel released a 'talking' Barbie in 2015 ('think Siri, not ChatGPT' according to Vox), but privacy concerns made Mattel discontinue her in 2017. And yet, with this recent partnership with OpenAI, they're still trying. Talking toys are creepy AF. Most parents have a horror story of their malfunctioning Bluey toy calling out 'Whackadoo!' in the dead of night under the bed, let alone throwing a chatty toy-bot in the mix. We can thank the films M3GAN and the recent sequel M3GAN 2.0, about a psychotic robot doll, for seeding our latest nightmares. 'Many parents want their children to understand emerging technologies. This leads to a mixed response of curiosity and concern,' Andrew McStay wrote in The Conversation. We know by now how tech companies feel about our personal information: playing around with it like a kid with a toy; and yet, despite our security concerns, we still willingly submit. No one wants to be left behind. But after seeing my daughter chatting away with E.T. 2.0, my greater concern is that we're losing the ability to give our kids undivided attention. It's hard enough to resist screens with the pace of modern life, let alone being offered an even easier way out: a chatty robot who never tires of questions. And what about when we need to explain to our kids that their robo-toy doesn't really care about them? It'll be like telling them that Santa is the dude who runs the kebab shop with a fake beard all over again.
