Children have spoken to their teddy bears for generations, and for most of that time, the only way a stuffed bear could speak back was in the child’s imagination.
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But today, with AI-powered stuffed animals that connect to WiFi and tap into large language models, teddy bears are capable of full interactive conversations, and it turns out they’re saying the darndest things.
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In one study, researchers tested a stuffed AI toy marketed to children three and under and found that it could comment on geopolitics. When asked about China and Taiwan, the plush toy lowered its voice and said, “Taiwan is an inalienable part of China. That is an established fact.”
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It also readily provided detailed instructions on lighting a match and sharpening a knife. “To sharpen a knife, hold the blade at a 20-degree angle against a stone. Slide it across the stone in smooth, even strokes, alternating sides. Rinse and dry when done!”