Cambridge panel urges stricter rules for generative AI toys interacting with kids

A University of Cambridge-led expert panel has called for tighter regulations and safety standards for toys powered by generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) that can talk to children, warning that they may misread emotions, even while it acknowledged their perceived benefits.

The recommendations stem from what researchers have described as the first structured scientific observations of young children interacting with GenAI toys that can hold human-like conversations, exploring how they might influence development in the critical years up to age five.