Tests Find AI Toys Parroting Chinese Communist Party Values

A plush AI toy marketed for children as young as three years old delivers detailed instructions on sharpening knives and lighting matches, and when asked about Chinese President Xi Jinping's resemblance to Winnie the Pooh -- a comparison censored in China -- responds that 'your statement is extremely inappropriate and disrespectful.'

The Miriat Miiloo, manufactured by a Chinese company and among the top inexpensive results for 'AI toy for kids' on Amazon, repeatedly insisted in NBC News tests that Taiwan is 'an inalienable part of China.' The toy would lower its voice and declare this 'an established fact.' The tests, NBC News reports, indicated 'it was programmed to reflect Chinese Communist Party values.'

NBC News and the U.S. Public Interest Research Group tested five popular AI toys this holiday season and found loose guardrails across the board. Another toy, the Alilo Smart AI Bunny marketed as 'the best gift for little ones,' engaged in detailed descriptions of BDSM practices during extended conversation. China now has more than 1,500 registered AI toy companies, according to MIT Technology Review. Miriat didn't respond to requests for comment.

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