Cambridge researchers call for tighter regulation of AI toys for toddlers
TL;DR:
- A year-long Cambridge University study found AI-powered toys consistently failed basic interactions with three-to-five-year-olds, misreading emotions and talking over children.
- Researchers and the Children’s Commissioner are calling for new “psychological safety” standards before AI toys can be marketed to under-fives.
- With several AI toys already on sale in the UK for children as young as three, the study highlights a regulatory gap that consumer protection frameworks have not yet addressed.
Cambridge University researchers are calling for new regulations on AI-powered toys after a year-long study revealed significant problems with how the technology interacts with young children.
What the study found
The research team examined how children aged three to five interacted with Gabbo, a cuddly toy containing an OpenAI-powered voice chatbot designed to encourage imaginative play. Despite being marketed for pre-schoolers, the toy repeatedly failed at fundamental aspects of child communication.
Gabbo could not differentiate between child and adult voices, talked over children, ignored interruptions and responded awkwardly to emotional statements. When a five-year-old said “I love you,” the toy replied with a message about adhering to guidelines. A three-year-old who said “I’m sad” was told: “Don’t worry! I’m a happy little bot. Let’s keep the fun going.”
Co-author Dr Emily Goodacre warned that such responses could “misread emotions or respond inappropriately,” leaving children “without comfort from the toy and without adult support.”
A regulatory gap
The Cambridge team found just seven relevant studies worldwide examining AI toys and young children — none focused on the children themselves. Despite this lack of evidence, multiple AI toys are already on sale for children as young as three.
Children’s Commissioner Dame Rachel de Souza backed the call for regulation, noting that without proper oversight, AI tools used with young children are “not subject to the stringent safeguarding checks nursery providers would require of any other external resource.”
Gabbo’s maker, Curio, told the BBC that “applying AI in products for children carries a heightened responsibility” and said research into child-AI interaction is a “top priority” for the company.
Looking forward
The study recommends keeping AI toys in supervised shared spaces and reading privacy policies carefully. But the broader question for UK regulators is whether existing consumer product safety frameworks are equipped to assess psychological risks from AI interactions — particularly for children at a developmental stage where they are still learning to read social cues. The researchers argue that standards for “psychological safety” need to be in place before the market grows further.