The Dangers of Smart Toys

With Christmas right around the corner, the U.S. Public Interest Research Group has published a report warning us about the dangers of certain products. One aspect of the group’s report should be of concern to parents who are buying what are known as smart toys for their children and teens. Specifically, toys that are enabled by artificial intelligence and which have a camera and microphone might be able to assess a child’s reactions using facial expressions or voice inflection, thereby allowing the toy to develop a relationship with the child. In addition, the toy might be able to gather and share information and data which could be transmitted to a company’s external servers. Of course, this data mining could be used for marketing purposes, and a data breach could allow hackers to collect and misuse that data. Parents, you have been given the responsibility by God to protect your children from harm and provide for their wellbeing. Use wisdom and discernment when putting toys and other devices in your home.