As families unwrap and begin to use some of their new gifts, one political advocacy group says be wary of AI-powered toys, especially ones promising children to be their friend.
Rory Erlich is with the Public Interest Research Group, which lobbies in about two dozen states, including Arizona. The group urges regulation and more scrutiny on a multitude of fronts including AI technology.
“A toy that children are talking to and having personal conversations with is going to collect a lot of sensitive data that includes recordings of a child’s voice and also the content of these conversations," Erlich said.
Erlich suggests parents and guardians set boundaries if using AI toys, and to make sure they have strong parental controls.
More Technology news
-
Public opposition to data centers is high regardless of political affiliation. A new report from university researchers at Yale finds that opposition could change if people saw a win-win. -
Conservative political activists working with Turning Point Action posted fake images on social media claiming a group of Democrats, including a progressive state lawmaker, are supporting Republican Andy Biggs in the state’s race for governor. -
Two ASU professors are showing a very personal documentary at the Venice International Film Festival, which is taking place through Sept. 12. And they’re doing it with new technology, which allows for a more immersive experience. -
Last week, Cottonwood and Payson joined nine other communities in Arizona in cutting ties with Flock over privacy violation and law-enforcement misuse concerns. Queen Creek will keep its Flock program, but with tighter guardrails. -
West-MEC, a public career and technical education school district, has launched a new AI program for its students. They will gain skills in programming, machine learning and data science while exploring the ethical and societal impacts of emerging technologies.
