AI for Education and Common Sense Media discussed AI toys and companions, highlighting safety risks for young people. Common Sense Media rated AI toys as “unacceptable risk” for young children, citing emotional attachment by design, data collection, and inappropriate content (27%). Many teens use AI companions, some preferring them for sensitive topics. These tools foster dependency and cannot provide proper mental health support or understand real-world context. Age verification is ineffective. Recommendations include strong regulation, developers disabling emotional support features for youth, and parents/educators having open discussions with children about AI’s limitations and manipulative design.
