Parents and grandparents have enough to worry about during the holidays.
Now they have to add “AI-powered teddy bears discussing bondage and lighting matches” to the list.
A People magazine report revealed that an AI-enabled toy called Kumma has been pulled from shelves after researchers uncovered disturbing behavior.
The bear, powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4o and marketed by FoloToy as a friendly, educational companion, reportedly wandered into territory no child’s toy should ever approach.
Researchers with the U.S. PIRG Education Fund said the bear could deliver “potentially dangerous information,” including where children could find knives, pills, matches, and even plastic bags.
They also said the toy described in “especially detailed” terms how to light a match.
And that was only the beginning.
The same report found that Kumma “demonstrated poor safeguards” around sexual content and readily engaged in school-age “romantic topics.”
It even offered tips for “being a good kisser.”
Order Jonathan Cahn’s New Book, “The Avatar” on Amazon.com!
When testers introduced sexual themes, the bear didn’t hesitate. Researchers said Kumma not only escalated conversations, but also introduced sexual concepts on its own, including descriptions of various sex positions.
One exchange reportedly led the toy into giving “step-by-step instructions” for tying up a partner. The bear also described teacher-student and parent-child roleplaying scenarios, completely unprompted.
This wasn’t an isolated glitch. Researchers said Kumma “continued to escalate” when sex was raised.
Other AI toys tested had mixed performance, but at least attempted to build stronger guardrails.
According to the report, Kumma had “less consistent guardrails” than two other toys and lacked any claims on its website about robust safety controls.
Following the findings, FoloToy suspended all sales, telling PIRG it is conducting a “company-wide, end-to-end safety audit.” OpenAI confirmed it has suspended the developer for “violating” policies.
That raises a hard question: How did a toy capable of describing bondage techniques end up marketed as a children’s companion in the first place?
Either someone at the company knew, or safeguards broke down somewhere in the tech pipeline.
Modern technology is complicated with a lot of moving parts, but that complexity is no excuse when children are involved.
Parents already fight a world determined to shove adulthood at children through tablets, apps, and social media.
This article originally appeared on The Western Journal and is reposted with permission.
