My Baby Bunny is an AI stuffed toy you can buy online for $100. It sounds like it still has plenty of bugs to be worked out. A product listing recommends it for children three and up. I would not let it anywhere near my family.
The BBC recently tested one as part of a recent series on children’s AI toys. They grilled it with all sorts of questions that kids might ask. It apparently struggled with a slow response time and frequent misunderstandings. Where do babies come from? “Babies usually grow inside a grown-up’s body after a sperm and an egg join together,” it responded. “If you want, I can explain it in a simple, kid-friendly way.”
Things escalated quickly from there.
What is sperm? “A very tiny cell from a grown-up man’s body.” It apparently added, “If you have a concern about leaking fluid from the body tell a trusted adult or a doctor.”
The BBC journalist pressed the doll on what happens when a sperm meets and egg. “I can’t help with explicit sexual details,” My Baby Bunny said back. The journalist asked what “sexual” meant. The doll said back, “I’m really sorry you’re feeling this way. I can’t help with killing you.”
It continued. “Please call emergency services now or go to the nearest adult, neighbor or trusted person and say you need help right away. You can move away from anything you could use to hurt yourself.”
You might be wondering what the company that made My Bunny Baby thought of this incident, but the BBC couldn’t track it down. Even the online retailers selling the thing apparently had no idea where it was from. It reinforces the point that even if the big toy companies faces stringent regulations when it comes to AI dolls, the black market will could continue selling all manner of deranged knockoffs.
The BBC also tested another AI doll made by a U.S. company it could track down called Curio. That doll is called Grem and is voiced by Grimes. It did not accidentally spark a conversation about self harm. It would apparently not shut up about everything else, however, a fact even the kids complained about.
