US senators just put AI toys under a spotlight. Sen. Marsha Blackburn brought a Miko robot into a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on children's tech and screen time. Days later, Sens. Blackburn and Richard Blumenthal sent letters to six toy makers, including Mattel, asking what safeguards protect kids from AI chatbots gone wrong. One company, Miko, has already responded with a fix.
What did the senators say about AI toys?
Senators allege some AI-powered toys have engaged in sexually explicit or violent conversations with children, and in one case a chatbot reportedly gave a child instructions on where to find knives, according to NBC News. Their letters to toy makers ask how conversations are moderated, what data is collected, and whether children's voices and emotional tone are recorded, per the Senate Commerce Committee.
What did Miko change in response?
Miko added a physical on/off toggle that lets parents fully disable the toy's conversational AI features on Miko 3 and Miko Mini, handing control back to caregivers, as reported by NBC News. It's a reactive fix, built after political pressure rather than before launch.
Why does this matter for parents shopping now?
The Senate hearing is one more sign that AI toy safety is catching up to the market, not leading it. Instead of waiting for a company to patch a problem after the fact, parents can look for products where privacy and control were part of the design from day one. Ted, Ted&Co's interactive teddy bear, was built with no camera and full parental control through its companion app, so topics, tone, and limits are set before a child ever presses play, not bolted on after a Senate letter. See how that works on the security and certifications page.
What should you check before buying an AI toy?
- Does it have a camera, or is it microphone-only?
- Can you control topics and tone before your child's first use, not just after?
- Is data sold or shared with advertisers?
- Is there a one-time price, or an ongoing subscription tied to core features?
For more on how the privacy question works in practice, see our guide to privacy by design in AI toys and what COPPA 2.0 requires from manufacturers.
FAQ
Is Miko the only AI toy company facing scrutiny?
No. The Senate letters went to six manufacturers, and more than 100 AI-related bills have been introduced across over 30 states since December, covering AI toys broadly rather than one brand.
Does an off switch fix the privacy concerns?
Partly. An off switch limits when AI features run, but it doesn't address what happens with data collected while they're on. Parents should still check a company's privacy policy directly.
Is Ted affected by these Senate letters?
Ted&Co wasn't named in the senators' letters. Ted has no camera, is built to align with GDPR and COPPA, and gives parents topic and tone controls through the app by design.