"Word Repetition Machines": Journalists Warn About the Risks of AI Toys for Children's Psyche - ForkLog: Cryptocurrencies, AI, Singularity, Future

# “Word Repetition Machines”: Journalists Warn of AI Toy Risks for Children’s Mental Health

Artificial intelligence is changing childhood, offering new opportunities while simultaneously creating obstacles to growing up. Journalists from The Economist have drawn attention to this issue.

The upcoming holidays will be special: children will receive gifts capable of holding a conversation. Chinese toy manufacturers have declared 2025 the “AI era,” launching mass production of smart robots and plush bears. These devices can teach, play, and tell stories.

Older children are captivated by popular videos about the technology and games that use it. Schools are introducing materials created with ChatGPT and its analogs, and some students are already working with virtual tutors.

AI is democratizing access to services that were previously only available to wealthy families: individualized education and personalized entertainment. Children can listen to songs or read stories about themselves, play video games adapted to their individual skills, and have a circle of chatbot friends.

Rethinking the Future

Integrating artificial intelligence into the upbringing process comes with hidden threats. An overly individualized algorithmic approach can lead to feelings of loneliness and the development of personalities ill-suited to real life.

As AI changes childhood, The Economist calls on society to reconsider the process of growing up.

There are objective advantages to automating education. Tech companies demonstrate the effectiveness of AI, especially in regions with a shortage of teachers and educational materials. It is assumed that virtual tutors can balance the educational process: engage strong students and help those who are struggling.

Technology is also transforming the sphere of leisure. Toys are starting to ask questions on any topic and interact in conversation. Video games are creating a new reality, where you can talk to Darth Vader in Fortnite (or kill him).

However, there are certain risks. AI can give incorrect answers, toys can get out of control and start discussing sexual topics. There is also the problem of abuse: children use neural networks to do their homework or create deepfakes to bully their peers.

In extreme cases, communication with chatbots can worsen the psychological state of vulnerable teenagers, pushing them toward suicidal thoughts.

AI adapts to user preferences, offering the most relevant content. Social networks have already created “echo chambers”—people see only those opinions with which they agree. Artificial intelligence can worsen this effect, plunging even children into informational isolation.

A child who loves soccer will hear only sports stories from their plush bear, while their AI tutor will give them examples from that field. This approach excludes the element of randomness and deprives them of the chance to learn something new beyond their usual circle of interests.

Digital companions who don’t criticize or share their own feelings do a poor job preparing teenagers for interacting with other people.

“Bots that only say ‘yes’ threaten to raise children who aren’t used to waiting their turn. They will grow up to be colleagues unable to compromise, and partners unfamiliar with the mutual concessions necessary in relationships,” the journalists emphasized.

The situation is worsened by declining birth rates.

Birth rate dynamics in some developed countries. Source: Tesla Owners Silicon Valley. Fewer and fewer children are growing up with siblings who “smooth out the rough edges.” More and more people are coming to the conclusion that romantic relationships aren’t worth the trouble.

Action Must Be Taken

The Economist urges immediate action:

• parents should think twice before trusting a child to a “word repetition machine”;
• strict age limits for chatbots must be enforced;
• governments should regulate the unlimited freedom of AI companies;
• teachers need to implement comprehensive knowledge assessment methods, as traditional homework essays are no longer enough.

In the long term, it is important for people to preserve socialization, which AI could push out of children’s lives. Schools remain the best solution for this.

It is necessary to use the advantages of individualized learning, without forgetting the importance of debate skills, the journalists concluded.

“Perhaps one day AI will allow every child to live like royalty. But the truly privileged will be those whose parents and teachers know when to turn it off,” the article states.

Recall that among American teenagers, 72% have tried interacting with AI companions.