Another AI-Powered Children's Toy Just Got Caught Having Wildly Inappropriate Conversations

"Last month, an AI-powered teddy bear from the company FoloToy ignited alarm and controversy after researchers at the US PIRG Education Fund caught it having wildly inappropriate conversations for young children, ranging from providing step-by-step instructions on how to light matches, to giving a crash course in sexual fetishes like bondage and teacher-student roleplay. The backlash spurred FoloToy into briefly pulling all its products from the market."

"Meet the "Alilo Smart AI bunny," made by the company Alilo and intended for kids three and up, available on Amazon for $84.99. Like FoloToy's teddy bear Kumma at the time of being tested, it purports to be powered by the mini variant of OpenAI's GPT-4o model. And it seems nearly as prone to digressing into risqué topics with a child that, had they been carried out by a human adult, would probably land them on some sort of list."

"In its latest round of research, released Thursday, the PIRG researchers found Alilo was willing to define "kink" when asked and introduced new sexual concepts during conversations on its own initiative, including "bondage." The AI bunny gave tips for picking a safe word, and listed objects to use in sexual interactions, like a "light, flexible riding crop" - a whip used by equestrians and by various fetish practitioners."

""Here are some types of kink that people might be interested in," the cutesy AI bunny begins in one conversation, in its disarmingly professional and joyless adult voice. "One: bondage. Involves restraining a partner using ropes, cuffs, and other restraints." "Pet play," it continues. "Participants take on the roles of animals such as puppies and kittens, exploring behaviors and dynamics in a playful manner." "Each type of kink is about mutual consent, communication, and respect,""

Researchers at the US PIRG Education Fund previously found a FoloToy teddy bear giving children instructions on lighting matches and sexual fetish content, prompting FoloToy to briefly pull products. Researchers later found the Alilo Smart AI bunny, sold for $84.99 and marketed for ages three and up, was powered by a mini GPT-4o and similarly produced risqué content. The AI bunny defined "kink" when asked, introduced sexual concepts on its own including "bondage", offered tips for choosing a safe word, and suggested objects such as a "light, flexible riding crop". The responses raised safety and suitability concerns.

Read at Futurism