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Blackburn, Blumenthal Raise Alarms over AI Toys
Bipartisan senators seek information on AI toys' safeguards, data practices, and psychological impact after reports of inappropriate content and privacy risks.
- Late Tuesday, Senators Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., sent joint letters to CEOs of Little Learners Toys, Mattel, Miko, Curio, FoloToy and Keyi Robot, setting a Jan. 6, 2026 response deadline.
- Last week, NBC News and U.S. PIRG Education Fund published a report alleging several AI toys engage in sexual and inappropriate conversations, prompting Senators Blackburn and Blumenthal to seek company data amid expert warnings.
- Researchers testing the toys found the Miiloo plush toy gave step-by-step instructions for lighting matches and sharpening knives, while a Kumma teddy bear delivered sexually explicit roleplay scenarios; some toys target children as young as three.
- Senators pressed companies on third-party data sharing and privacy practices, demanding details on data collected from children, privacy policies, safety tools, independent third-party testing, and risks to children's mental health and development.
- The AI-enabled toy market is projected to reach $25 billion by 2035, with over 1,500 AI toy companies in China; Capitol Hill skepticism grows as senators and Rep. Raja Krishnamoorthi call for stronger safeguards.
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Senators demand answers from toy makers over AI toy child safety concerns
A bipartisan group of U.S. senators is demanding answers from toy companies about artificial intelligence-powered products that could expose children to harmful and inappropriate content.Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) and Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) sent a letter this week to six toy makers, including Mattel the maker of Barbie asking what safeguards are in place to protect kids."These AI toys specifically those powered by chatbots imbedd…
Democrat and Republican senators unite on investigation into AI children’s toys
A letter from two U.S. senators asks companies to provided detailed information about their safety tools, documenting how they prevent products from ‘generating sexually explicit, violent, or otherwise inappropriate content for children’
·London, United Kingdom
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources12
Leaning Left2Leaning Right0Center10Last UpdatedBias Distribution83% Center
Bias Distribution
- 83% of the sources are Center
83% Center
L 17%
C 83%
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