Madeline West: Former TV star reveals troubling ‘Barbie' complex as teen and concerns over AI's impact on kids
The former Neighbours star has spoken out after manufacturer Mattel — the creator of Barbie — announced in June that it would be partnering with OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT.
West fears it spells the end of playtime for kids as society knows it, sharing her thoughts in a column published to Kidspot.
But before outlining her grave concerns about AI, she detailed her relationship with the doll.
'Thanks to AI, Barbie will soon be talking back. I for one am worried…,' she wrote.
'Because as a little girl, I wanted to be Barbie. Barbie epitomised what I thought it meant to be an empowered woman. She could be a doctor, a sports star, ballerina, anything and everything despite the fact that structurally Barbie couldn't stand on her size 3 feet or fit any organs into her negative size 0 body.
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The 45-year-old mother, who gave birth to her seventh child in April, revealed the extent she'd go to pursue a Barbie-like physique in her younger years.
'She was all I wanted to be, and I got close. All it took was a fanatical addiction to fitness, fakery, and an eating disorder that almost killed me twice in my teens,' she said.
'By virtue of the suggestibility I suffered from living most of my life in the shadow cast by childhood abuse, I almost made the fantasy a reality.'
However, West's worries went beyond simply the risk of kids succumbing to 'body dysmorphia'.
She implored parents to see past potential marketing ploys promoting the benefits of AI in a child's early years.
'For me, the fact this initiative will see AI shaping and encouraging meaningful relationships between our kids and retail products without any clear, comprehensive guardrails is a red flag,' West said.
She added, 'Mattel and others of its ilk owe parents genuine, informed consent. It owes children respect for their inner lives.'
Unaware of the forthcoming developments to the company's products, followers of the star shared her despair.
One labelled the news 'quite scary', while another thanked the TV star for her 'transparency' in revealing her struggles with body image.
'This is so frightening. I can't comprehend what this could do to belief systems in young children. I just hope it's very regulated and only positive and educational content can be shared,' a follower said.
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Actor and blogger Madeleine West has admitted her teenage obsession with becoming a real-life Barbie doll almost killed her, twice. The former Neighbours star has spoken out after manufacturer Mattel — the creator of Barbie — announced in June that it would be partnering with OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. West fears it spells the end of playtime for kids as society knows it, sharing her thoughts in a column published to Kidspot. But before outlining her grave concerns about AI, she detailed her relationship with the doll. 'Thanks to AI, Barbie will soon be talking back. I for one am worried…,' she wrote. 'Because as a little girl, I wanted to be Barbie. Barbie epitomised what I thought it meant to be an empowered woman. She could be a doctor, a sports star, ballerina, anything and everything despite the fact that structurally Barbie couldn't stand on her size 3 feet or fit any organs into her negative size 0 body. Loading Instagram Post The 45-year-old mother, who gave birth to her seventh child in April, revealed the extent she'd go to pursue a Barbie-like physique in her younger years. 'She was all I wanted to be, and I got close. All it took was a fanatical addiction to fitness, fakery, and an eating disorder that almost killed me twice in my teens,' she said. 'By virtue of the suggestibility I suffered from living most of my life in the shadow cast by childhood abuse, I almost made the fantasy a reality.' However, West's worries went beyond simply the risk of kids succumbing to 'body dysmorphia'. She implored parents to see past potential marketing ploys promoting the benefits of AI in a child's early years. 'For me, the fact this initiative will see AI shaping and encouraging meaningful relationships between our kids and retail products without any clear, comprehensive guardrails is a red flag,' West said. She added, 'Mattel and others of its ilk owe parents genuine, informed consent. It owes children respect for their inner lives.' Unaware of the forthcoming developments to the company's products, followers of the star shared her despair. One labelled the news 'quite scary', while another thanked the TV star for her 'transparency' in revealing her struggles with body image. 'This is so frightening. I can't comprehend what this could do to belief systems in young children. I just hope it's very regulated and only positive and educational content can be shared,' a follower said.
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