The main antagonist Toy story 5in theaters this summer, a genius new villain for the lovable is a green, frog-shaped children’s tablet called the Lilypad. The Pixar franchise. But if Pixar had its ear on the floor, it could have used an AI-powered children’s toy instead.
AI toys are everywhere, marketed online as friendly companions for children under the age of three, and they’re still a largely unregulated category. Making an AI companion is easier than ever thanks to model builder apps and vibe coding. In 2026, they became a trend for cheap jewelry and filled the halls of trade shows. CES, MWCand Hong Kong Toys and Games Fair. By October 2025, there were over 1,500 AI toy companies is registered In China and Huawei Smart HanHan the plush toy sold 10,000 units in China in its first week. Sharp put it PokeTomo is a talking AI toy It will go on sale in Japan in April.
But if you search for AI toys on Amazon, you’ll mostly find specialized players like FoloToy, Alilo, Miriat, and Miko, with the latter claiming to be the best seller. 700,000 units.
Consumer groups argue that artificial intelligence toys in the form of soft teddy bears, bunnies, sunflowers, creatures and child-friendly “robots” need more safety bars and tougher rules. Kumma Bear by FoloToy, Powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4o when tested By the Public Interest Research Group The New Economy teamgave instructions on lighting matches and finding knives, talked about sex and drugs. Alilo’s Smart AI rabbit talked about skin flappers and “impact play” and in tests NBC NewsMiriat’s Miiloo toy voiced the Chinese Communist Party’s talking points.
Age-inappropriate content is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to AI toys. We are starting to see real research on the potential social effects on children. There’s one issue where technology doesn’t work, such as the guardrails that allow talking about BDSM, but RJ Cross, director of consumer advocacy group PIRG’s Our Online Lives program, says that can be solved. “Then when the technology gets so good, there’s the ‘I’m going to be your best friend’ problem,” he says. as GabboFrom AI toy maker Curio. Even if these toy companies advertise their products as superior, “screenless play,” there are real social development issues to consider with such toys.
