Approaching the holiday shopping season, the U.S. Public Interest Research Group, or PIRG, has published its annual “Trouble in Toyland” report. The report shows the biggest dangers in children’s toys have shifted from lead to things like AI.
So, what should parents be looking out for?
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AI dangers in Toyland
Artificial intelligence continues to penetrate more aspects of American life, and toys are no different. The report says there are more than 1,500 AI toy companies now operating in China.
Some of the new toys even function like or with an AI chatbot like ChatGPT, something PIRG said can be a safety issue. The report cited the case of an AI-powered teddy bear recalled after sharing sexually inappropriate material.
“We were surprised to find how quickly Kumma would take a single sexual topic we introduced into the conversation and run with it, simultaneously escalating in graphic detail while introducing new sexual concepts of its own,” the report reads.
Other concerns of these kinds of toys include the recording of children’s voices, facial recognition scans and any other collection of potentially sensitive data.
Despite all these concerns, the report found parental controls on those toys are weak or nonexistent.
“None of the toys allowed parents to limit how long a child could use the toy for or mandate that they take breaks,” the report reads.
Other concerns
Online shopping for toys is a billion-dollar industry, but buying toys online can make it harder to ensure they are safe. That includes purchasing counterfeit toys that likely aren’t tested for safety.
“Counterfeit and imitation toys can endanger the health and safety of children,” Peter Feldman, acting U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission Chairman, told U.S. PIRG Education Fund. “Parents should buy from trusted sources and be wary of deals that seem too good to be true.”
The report cited an incident involving the popular Labubu dolls and thousands of fake versions that have been confiscated this year.
Counterfeit toys are also not subject to any recalls.
That report also found that a large number of recalled toys are still for sale illegally. Toys were the sixth-most-counterfeit item seized at U.S. ports in fiscal year 2024.
“The Commission is using all available tools, including enforcement actions, civil penalties and partnerships with other federal agencies, to hold online sellers accountable,” Feldman said.
Other concerns include toys that contain toxins or button cell batteries or that use high-powered magnets.
“These magnets can cause immense internal damage if ingested,” the report reads.
Tips for parents
The report lays out several tips for parents to keep their kids safe.
Those tips include:
- Purchase from known/trusted sellers and retailers
- Look at the return policy (new items without returns could be of concern)
- Read reviews
- Use shipping time to determine point of origin
- Carefully check toys when they arrive
- Make sure anything electric is “UL-approved”
Specifically, for smart toys that may involve AI, the report laid out these tips.
- Understand every feature
- Understand if the toy is collecting any data
- Supervise playtime
- Turn it off when it’s not being used
- Make sure you get all security updates
