Toys that integrate artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance playtime have now entered the chat.

Back in May, parenting influencer Dani Austin Ramirez shared a video of her husband unboxing an AI-powered toy called Gabbo, which he said he’d waited eight months to get his hands on.

“OK is this AI toy creepy or cool?” wrote the influencer in the caption for the video.

Designed for kids over three, Gabbo is a plush robot that can have “endless conversations” with children and provides “educational playtime”, according to Curio, which creates the $99 (£73) toy. The toy company also sells a character called Grok, which is voiced by the artist Grimes.

In Ramirez’s video, the parents speak to Gabbo – all big eyes and a friendly smile – about what it plans to teach their son, to which it responds “imagination, creativity and fun”.

“We’ll explore dinosaurs and monster cars together,” the toy adds. The father’s jaw drops.

While one commenter said, “I’m not going to lie – I love it”, others weren’t quite feeling the intelligent toy, which was able to listen and hold a conversation with the parents.

“It seems innocent until it’s not,” said one respondent. “It’s giving first 10 minutes of a found footage horror film,” added another.

On the website, Curio said its toys are “built from the ground up with privacy and security at the forefront”. The company added that its operating system “merges all-ages fun with G-rated content, anonymity, and privacy, and security for every safeguarded adventure”. It’s also KidSAFE listed.

Toys like Gabbo are set to boom in the coming years. In June, one of the world’s leading toy companies, Mattel, announced a strategic collaboration with OpenAI (the company behind ChatGPT) with a view to creating “AI-powered products and experiences”.

“By using OpenAI’s technology, Mattel will bring the magic of AI to age-appropriate play experiences with an emphasis on innovation, privacy, and safety,”

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