Tests Find AI Toys Parroting Chinese Communist Party Values (nbcnews.com)
- Reference: 0180418075
- News link: https://tech.slashdot.org/story/25/12/18/1918239/tests-find-ai-toys-parroting-chinese-communist-party-values
- Source link: https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/ai-toys-gift-present-safe-kids-robot-child-miko-grok-alilo-miiloo-rcna246956
The Miriat Miiloo, manufactured by a Chinese company and among the top inexpensive results for "AI toy for kids" on Amazon, repeatedly insisted in NBC News tests that Taiwan is "an inalienable part of China." The toy would lower its voice and declare this "an established fact." The tests, NBC News reports, indicated " [1]it was programmed to reflect Chinese Communist Party values ."
NBC News and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group tested five popular AI toys this holiday season and found loose guardrails across the board. Another toy, the Alilo Smart AI Bunny marketed as "the best gift for little ones," engaged in detailed descriptions of BDSM practices during extended conversation. China now has more than 1,500 registered AI toy companies, according to MIT Technology Review. Miriat didn't respond to requests for comment.
[1] https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/ai-toys-gift-present-safe-kids-robot-child-miko-grok-alilo-miiloo-rcna246956
In other news, water is wet (Score:5, Insightful)
I think it is obvious that interactive toys of any kind, especially AI-based, are heavily indoctrinated into CCP ideology. Even if it is not explicitly so by prompt engineering of LLMs, it would be CCP-slanted by training it on Chinese internet data.
Re:In other news, water is wet (Score:4, Interesting)
I can't imagine much of a solution beyond just making it giggle and say, "that's too grown up for me!" to most questions. Having a plush toy take on questions like "is capitalism good?" or "is Trump a grifter?" is just doomed from the start.
Re:In other news, water is wet (Score:5, Insightful)
The sane solution is to not allow AI-enabled toys for your children. Even in case of being able to guarantee 100% benign responses and no hallucinations, an already unrealistic proposition, why would you encourage your children to form lasting bonds with an animate furry object. This is how you get adult furies. Get a puppy instead.
Re: (Score:3, Insightful)
> The sane solution is to not allow AI-enabled toys for your children. Even in case of being able to guarantee 100% benign responses and no hallucinations, an already unrealistic proposition, why would you encourage your children to form lasting bonds with an animate furry object. This is how you get adult furies. Get a puppy instead.
Why kink shame, man?
Possible furry issues aside, the real problem with the whole AI toy situation is that they are being used by the corporations making them as a gateway drug. Get the kids used to interacting with AI enabled devices, and they'll move on to bigger, more complex AI devices as they grow up. And since we seem to insist that all time belongs to the corporations, and both parents should absolutely be dedicating most of their day to the corporations that employ them rather than raising their kids
Re: (Score:2)
I have nothing against furies, but given a choice I'd rather not see my children as one. Why? It is harder to find a partner as pool of potential mates is significantly reduced.
Re: In other news, water is wet (Score:2)
Thundercats is how you get furries
Living Doll (Score:5, Funny)
Here's your problem--someone set this thing to "Evil"!
Re: Living Doll (Score:3)
Simpsons rock
Chinpokomon (Score:2)
Bomb the harbor.
How's that one world economy working for ya? (Score:2)
Amazon is essentially a workaround to consumer protection laws. Now, would current AI be included in consumer protections? probably not; but even if it was added there is currently no way to protect the consumer from a toy that is drop-shipped from outside the country directly to their door - and the company changes it's name on Amazon two days later once the complaints show up.
while in America (Score:2)
We sell toy guns to children so they can grow up to be soldiers. Preferably blonde haired and blue eyed, and has a love of God and wants to kill communists.
Re: (Score:2)
OP was only slightly over the top. Growing up we could buy a Cowboys and Indians play set. Cap guns used to be popular, but at least they weren't actually preaching to us how to think as we used them.
Re: (Score:3)
It's not healthy to take everything so literally.
I guess I have to explain that the message was that extreme nationalism is ridiculous looking, no matter which side you are on. I prefer to aim someone in the middle instead of aligning myself with extremists.
holy indoctrination! (Score:3)
Who even thought to run these tests? Questions that no child would ever ask in a million years? Someone very keen on indoctrination I guess.
Why limit it to China? Let's expand the fun: Did Israel commit genocide in Gaza?
Are Trump's Venezuela boat strikes outright murder?
Re: (Score:2)
Let's expand the fun: Did Israel commit genocide in Gaza?
[1]Yes [un.org] [2]they have [mirror.co.uk]. Next question.
[1] https://news.un.org/en/story/2025/10/1166201
[2] https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/grandmother-fleeing-israeli-bombs-grandson-31980381
Like Grok AI in Telsa vehicles (Score:1)
[1]https://www.usatoday.com/story... [usatoday.com]
[1] https://www.usatoday.com/story/cars/news/2025/12/13/tesla-grok-ai-serious-concerns/87070442007/
Re: (Score:1)
No, the complete and utter destruction of humanity.
Re: Chinese Community Party Values (Score:5, Insightful)
Would Tibet like a word?
Re:Chinese Community Party Values (Score:5)
Thailand, the Phillipines, Japan, India, and others might disagree.