Two U.S. senators said an AI-powered toy maker exposed thousands of its devices’ audio replies to children through an unsecured, publicly accessible database, intensifying scrutiny of the fast-growing kids’ AI market. Offices for Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R., Tenn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D., Conn.) said their staff used basic tools to locate folders on a cloud server that appeared to store Miko robots’ daily responses across multiple languages since December. While children’s own voice recordings did not appear, file names and content allegedly revealed kids’ names, interests and usage patterns. Miko’s CEO denied any breach of user data and said no children’s voices or personal information were publicly accessible. The database was taken offline after notification, NBC News reported. The senators also pressed toy makers Curio and FoloToy for details on data-sharing, parental controls, deletion practices, and any handling of users’ emotional-state data, citing broader concerns after prior reports of AI toys producing inappropriate content. The inquiry underscores rising regulatory pressure around children’s privacy and security as AI features proliferate in consumer devices.
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