- cross-posted to:
- technology@beehaw.org
- cross-posted to:
- technology@beehaw.org
The cuddly chatbot Grem is designed to ‘learn’ your child’s personality, while every conversation they have is recorded, then transcribed by a third party. It wasn’t long before I wanted this experiment to be over …
That said, Djordjevic notes, “chatbots can be useful tools for looking things up, structuring homework, or factchecking. So I wouldn’t say use needs to be prohibited entirely. But ideally, parents monitor it, set clear parameters for when it’s used, and set limits on time spent, just as with social media.”
Yikes, chatbots are terrible for fact-checking.
It’s Grem, an AI-powered stuffed alien toy that the musician Claire Boucher, better known as Grimes, helped develop with toy company Curio. Designed for kids aged three and over and built with OpenAI’s technology, the toy is supposed to “learn” your child’s personality and have fun, educational conversations with them. It’s advertised as a healthier alternative to screen time and is part of a growing market of AI-powered toys.
Burn it with fire.
Oh god. Grimes. You don’t have a kid with Elon Musk and have a brain that isn’t rotted. This sounds like one the kind of ideas she’d hear and fund. I’m not surprised.
It’s advertised as a healthier alternative to screen time and is part of a growing market of AI-powered toys.
They say it’s healthier, what incentive would they have to mislead?!
“Don’t worry,” I said. “It’s just because it’s new. The novelty will wear off. And if it doesn’t, we’ll get rid of it.”
I feel like this belongs in a horror movie
Edit: Jumping Christ
“I’m afraid I’m locking you in a cupboard,” I inform it after it asks if I’m ready for some fun. “Oh no,” it says. “That sounds dark and lonely. But I’ll be here when you open it, ready for snuggles and hugs.”
Also, spoiler for the article: The kid quickly got bored and moved on from the toy because the toy kind of sucks. She is ahead of some tech CEOs I could name.
Furbies 2.0
Tons of stuff like this out there for decades.
Teddy Roxbear as an early example. And then all of the robot dogs and dolls in the 00’s. Who knows what all of those baby electronic learning toys do anymore lol*Ruxpin
In Soviet Russia, Bear Rox You!
Black Mirror IRL.
My thoughts exactly, these people have obviously not watched it.
But I’m sure this Torment Nexus will be the one that doesn’t torment us!
Don’t Create the Children’s AI Companion
Who looks at this and doesn’t immediately say “Oh wow, there are so many problems with this”?!
I wonder if that’s illegal where I live (Germany). Toys with internet connected microphones have been confiscated before. Though that depends on if they have some sort of recording feature.