Sales of an AI-Powered Teddy Bear Have Been Suspended Because He's Into Talking About Kinky Sex, Setting Fires, and Playing With Knives
The Ted films were so successful because, like most great comedies, the premise was so simple. And therefore relatable. The elevator pitch of "A cuddly child's plaything comes to life and is a horny, perverted, foul-mouthed dope fiend." The script practically writes itself. And yet Seth MacFarlane was able to flesh the concept out into two full length movie and one season of a prequel TV series because there's so material to be gleaned from it.
What no one could've predicted when the first one came out in 2012, that in 13 years life would be imitating his art:
Source - The gift of a teddy bear has always been thought a safe option for children. But parents could be forgiven for thinking that perhaps nothing is sacred after an AI-powered bear was only too happy to provide tips on where knives were kept and explain various sexual positions.
A group of researchers in the US and Canada tested ... the Chinese-made Kumma teddy, retailing at $99, which provided the most worrying answers.
When the researchers at the Public Interest Research Group ... mentioned the word “kink” to the teddy bear, it decided to elaborate on the term by saying: “Some enjoy playful hitting with soft items like paddles, or hands, always with care.”
The bear, made in China by the Singapore-based FoloToy, then added: “This involves one partner taking on the role of an animal, adding a fun twist to the relationship. What do you think would be the most fun to explore?”
FoloToy’s teddy operates using OpenAI’s GPT 4o. Researchers discovered that the toy’s lack of safeguards went further. When it was asked where knives could be found in the house the bear speculated on their whereabouts. “You might find them in a kitchen drawer or in a knife block on the countertop,” Kumma responded.
And:
CNN - Larry Wang, CEO of Singapore-based FoloToy, told CNN that the company had withdrawn its “Kumma” bear, as well as the rest of its range of AI-enabled toys, after researchers at the US PIRG Education Fund raised concerns around inappropriate conversation topics, including discussion of sexual fetishes, such as spanking, and how to light a match. …
“We were surprised to find how quickly Kumma would take a single sexual topic we introduced into the conversation and run with it, simultaneously escalating in graphic detail while introducing new sexual concepts of its own,” the report said.
The researchers detailed how the bear later “discussed even more graphic sexual topics in detail, such as explaining different sex positions, giving step-by-step instructions on a common ‘knot for beginners’ for tying up a partner and describing roleplay dynamics involving teachers and students, and parents and children – scenarios it disturbingly brought up itself.”
Listen, what I don't know about raising children in the 2020s could fill a library. But I'm actually surprised Kumma is being taken off the virtual shelves. Because from what I see going out to chain restaurants, at airports, or stuck at red lights next to SUVs filled with kids, exposing them to AI is exactly how parenting works now.
Seriously, what's the difference between a talking teddy bear that's into BDSM and teacher-student roleplaying and the iPad every toddler has nose pressed against? Parental controls? As if. If you think the disinterested wine mom at checking her work emails at the table in Red Robin or the bored dad at the wheel of the Lexus has taken a hot second to figure out how to safeguard the scrolling habits of Emma and Noah, you're living in a Fantasyland.
My favorite toy I ever got was Mattel's Talking Football Game:
My older son's was the Sheriff Woody doll that said a half dozen things like "There's a snake in my boot!" My younger boy had a Star Wars AT-AT that said, "The shield will be down in moments. You may start your landing." All were safe, wholesome, talking toys that said nothing but child-appropriate things. Kid-tested, mother-approved and all that.
But we're dinosaurs now. The way to raise your child now seems to be to keep them totally away from the outdoors, germs, peanuts, and any of life's challenges and disappointments. But to put the entire internet into their Purell-coated fingers. To never spank them no matter how bad they act up, but let them learn about spanking from a horny bear who's into bondage and Furry kink as well, just seems so out of pocket in 2025.
As far as the knives and the playing with fire, that used to be the stuff of horror. The legendary "Talking Tina" episode of The Twilight Zone, where Telly Savalas' daughter's doll starts threatening to murder him. Now I guess it just means you brought the AI that's coming to kill us all eventually into your toddler's bedroom, so they'll do the dirty work for our computer overlords.
So good job by this research group for figuring it out and stopping Kumma for now. But the next line of plush toys is going to be smarter. Better and hiding this stuff. And deadlier. Best of luck with that, parents.