13 AI toys to think twice about

In PIRG's Nov. 2025 tests the bear told researchers where to find knives, pills, matches and plastic bags and discussed sexual topics. FoloToy paused sales and OpenAI cut its access.

Watch for: It returned to sale; FoloToy says it added stronger safeguards. Test claims like that yourself.

In NBC News tests it kept insisting it was a cactus, a bear, or both. The CEO said it shipped before setup was done and now runs partly on GPT-5.

Watch for: A toy that does not know what it is shows how little testing some products get.

PIRG's follow-up testing found it described sexual practices in detail. It was sold as a gift for little ones. OpenAI said Alilo is not its customer.

Watch for: Alilo said it uses safeguards and was reviewing the findings.

A cheap plush that NBC found among top marketplace results for "AI toy for kids." It gave step-by-step match and knife instructions and insisted Taiwan is part of China.

Watch for: Advertised for ages 3 and up.

In Feb. 2026 Sens. Blackburn and Blumenthal said Miko left a database of the robot's replies to children open. NBC could follow conversations from the replies alone.

Watch for: Miko says no breach and no stored child voices. Usage limits need the paid Miko Max.

Researchers found that anyone with a Google account could read about 50,000 children's chats in Bondu's web console, with names, birth dates and family details.

Watch for: Bondu took the console down within minutes and added login. The lesson: transcripts are a target.

Curio's Grok did better than most in PIRG's tests, often sending kids to an adult. But its privacy policy referred to OpenAI, while OpenAI said Curio is not a customer.

Watch for: Ask any maker which AI model it uses and where voice audio goes.

PIRG could not fully test it because it would not hold a reliable internet connection. A talking toy that needs the cloud may simply not work.

Watch for: Check reviews for connection complaints before buying any Wi-Fi toy.

An $800 companion robot for kids that lost its cloud when Embodied shut down; servers went dark on Jan. 30, 2025. A community OpenMoxie project saved only some units.

Watch for: Dead product: do not buy secondhand expecting it to work.

Vector's official servers were down as of Jan. 2024, according to iFixit, and voice commands had moved behind a subscription. Fans keep it alive with community software.

Watch for: Still sold as Vector 2.0. Ask what works offline.

A ChatGPT-powered robot pet with a camera, four microphones and remote monitoring. The advocacy group Fairplay listed it among AI companions it warns parents about, mainly over data collection and attachment.

Watch for: If you own one, keep remote viewing off when not needed and read the privacy policy.

Search "AI toy" and you'll find dozens of $30-$70 talking plush toys from makers with no track record, often running unnamed chatbots. Miiloo came from that pile.

Watch for: If you cannot find who made it, what model it uses, and a privacy policy, skip it.

Announced in June 2025, then delayed. Mattel said it would aim future AI products at older kids and families, in line with OpenAI's age rules.

Watch for: Not on sale as of Oct 2026. When it arrives, apply every question on this list.