A wave of AI-enabled toys from China is poised to reach U.S. retailers, highlighting a fast-growing market and stirring fresh debate over children’s tech use. Global sales of smart toys stand near $35 billion and could swell to $270 billion by 2035, researchers say, with China driving roughly 40% of growth. Products such as BubblePal—a clip-on device powered by Chinese large-language models—and FoloToy’s customizable talking companions have already crossed into the U.S., even as details of a separate U.S. toymaker’s AI plans remain sparse. Enthusiasts pitch the toys as educational and adaptive, but academics and child-development experts warn of risks to social skills, critical thinking, and mental health, urging firm guardrails and parental scrutiny. Public sentiment is mixed: roughly half of Americans report being more concerned than excited about AI, according to recent polling. As the holiday season approaches, the toy aisle could become the next flashpoint in the broader U.S.-China tech competition and a test for privacy and child-protection standards.
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