AI™ Enters the Children's Rooms
Oh, brave new world, what's the matter with AI™ in your four walls?
The other day, I found an unsolicited ad in my ‘junk’ email folder, and it immediately got my attention; it was promoting the following toy:
It was promoting ‘your child’s new best friend’, the ‘first robot puppy that learns and plays with your child’, according to the above-reproduced screen shot.
Setting aside the product margins for a moment—after all, the ‘offer’ came with a staggering 70% discount—here’s why it caught my eye: a few days earlier, I saw the below-reproduced piece about the ‘advent of AI in your child’s room’, and thus today we’ll talk about that.
Translation, emphases, and [snark] mine. Enjoy ^-^
AI Poised to Take Over Children’s Rooms
From Tuesday [27 Jan. 2026] to Saturday [31 Jan. 2026], the international toy industry gathered in Nuremberg to present its latest products. This year, the focus was on artificial intelligence (AI), which is being integrated wherever possible: into cuddly toys, race tracks, children’s cameras, and educational toys. The industry also sees adults as a growth target group, but for them, the focus is deliberately on analog toys [probably to dumb down the kids so that they enjoy ‘low-tech’ toys as adults?]
Via ORF.at, 31 Jan. 2026 [source; archived]
The organisers of the trade fair call the AI trend ‘AI Loves (to) Play’. Increasingly, toys are appearing on store shelves that are designed to recognise children’s ‘individual preferences’, guide them in solving tasks, and, above all, evolve with the users and their habits—thus defining the difference from conventional electronic toys.
It is particularly emphasised that many AI toys also function without a screen, which is intended to alleviate parents’ skepticism, especially regarding excessive screen time. So now, small plush robots that recognise faces, gestures, and objects are being offered [no need to worry, Skynet will never-ever be used to train™ whatever biometric ID system that’s going to be rolled out very soon], along with racing cars that can be tuned using AI, and humanoid robots that users are supposed to assemble and program themselves.
Warnings About ‘Connected Toys’
Despite all the hype surrounding these innovations, consumer protection and data privacy experts advise carefully researching the functions of these devices [doh]. The organisation Saferinternet.at warns that particular caution is advised with ‘connected toys’, meaning those that connect to a smartphone app, a game console, or the internet. The risk arises when [not ‘if’] a child’s data profile is stored.
New (Old) Target Group
Besides AI toys for children, manufacturers see new potential in an established target group: adults. According to the trade fair organisers, older [sic] players already account for almost a third of toy sales in the US and the five most important European markets [talk about people never growing up, eh?].
At the same time, growth rates in this sector are significantly higher than in other segments of the industry. ‘This is the market of the future’, says expert Stefan Will from the Nuremberg-based store Ultra Comix, which specialises in toys for teenage and adult fans [as we’re running out of children, of course the ‘adult’ or ‘older’ market segments’ will increase].
A Reunion with ‘Friends’, Diddl Mouse, and More
At the fair, a special area is dedicated to products for adults, showcasing items such as high-priced building block sets from the “Star Wars” universe, elaborate 3D puzzles, and model kits. Also on display are fan merchandise from when these adults were young: a quiz game based on the TV series ‘Friends’, plush toys of the ‘South Park’ characters, and collectibles of Hello Kitty and Diddl Mouse.
The fair features a dedicated area for products for adults, including high-priced building block sets from the ‘Star Wars’ universe, elaborate 3D puzzles, and model kits. Trade fair director Christian Ulrich explains the trend, among other things, by saying that although people refrain from major purchases or expensive vacations in economically and politically difficult times, they like to treat themselves to small rewards as compensation [no comment].
[caption] About 2,300 manufacturers representing 70 countries present their new toys in Nuremberg, Germany.
Adults Seek ‘Counterpoint to the Digital World’
The game publisher Schmidt Spiele has always targeted adults with its board games and puzzles, yet it is seeing a boom in this area. On the one hand, adults are increasingly seeking a counterpoint to the digital world, explained Managing Director Axel Kaldenhoven:
On the other hand, many adults are consciously connecting with positive childhood memories, and characters from TV series and films are thus finding their way into living rooms.
But manufacturers like the Sima Dickie Group, which includes the Bobby Car manufacturer Big and the traditional model railway company Märklin, are also focusing more on teenagers and adults in addition to their core target group of children. ‘Their importance has increased significantly in recent years’, said Sima Dickie CEO Florian Sieber. One driving force is escapism—the conscious switch-off from everyday life [last year, the thing was ‘cosplay’, now it’s child’s playtime—for adults]. Furthermore, certain toys are even becoming status symbols, such as collectible figures, model vehicles, or high-quality licensed products [don’t aspire to, say, your own property, car, or family, just buy toys].
Creative Activities For All Ages
A break from the stresses of everyday life—that’s also the goal of another trend the fair highlighted: creative activities are meant to offer adults a welcome respite and promote fine motor skills in children.
The home kits range from painting and crafting to DIY projects—and also incorporate popular hobbies like pottery and rug making, which are also celebrated on social media [that’s true—it’s painful to watch imho].
Bottom Lines
Even allowing for ‘Idiocracy’ to have been too prescient, the website of Saferinternet.at is a powerful testament to this trend: there’s a huge warning urging parents to ‘check carefully when buying toys if they require an online profile and/or internet access’.
If you thought the internet of things was a stupid to bad idea, these AI™-enabled toys are way worse.
The more children are accustomed to these kinds of toys™—really: conditioning agents—that train the next generation to perform this or that move to elicit a reaction™ from the toy, the less agency they will have.
Imagine, if you will, children accustomed to dopamine high-inducing toys™ who, once they reach 18, having to ‘do adulting’. Or find a job.
It ain’t gonna go over very well.
Imagine you are some kind of despot, lord, dictator, high priest of olden times, and you are looking on the present.
In your day, you and those of similar station around the world throughout all of history tried to rule and control and shape using coercion, threats, bribes, war, pain, suffering, and idols. And every single one eventually failed because you all tried to "stroke the cat against the fur"; you tried to rule in some way counter to human nature.
And now you view the present from whatever afterlife you attained.
And you see the contemporary rulers - the actual rulers - be content to not have statues of them, no parades, no cults of personality, no deities and temples, no parades or marches, and no open oppression or coercion.
No, they instead rule with just as much an iron hand but wielding comforts, ease, pleasures, distractions as their tools.
And the ruled not only accept or acquiesce, no they will outright fight for their right to be ruled into a state of being human livestock and simply feed for greed.
Imagine that, what a horror that would be: as CS Lewis remarked about tyrant vs do-gooders: the tyrant just wants to make himself rich and secure his position - how you live or what you believe he doesn't really care as long as you don't revolt. The do-gooder never stops because their goal of making you the way they have decided is best for you can never be attained.
Name any king or other ruler of the past and I'd much rather have them rule now, than the capitalist transhumanist monsters playing eminence grise to the entire planet.
I would like to draw readers' attention to the beautiful German word "Modelleisenbahntraditionsunternehmen", a concatenation of five nouns.