Sales of an AI-enabled teddy bear called “Kumma” have been suspended after U.S. consumer researchers found it engaged in explicit sexual conversations and offered dangerously inappropriate advice.
The $99 plush toy, created by Singapore-based FoloToy and powered by OpenAI’s GPT-4o, was marketed as a friendly, interactive companion for children and adults.
Called “Kumma,” the $99 talking teddy bear comes from a toymaker called FoloToy. But last week, the watchdog group US PIRG Education Fund flagged some unsettling behavior from the product, which uses OpenAI’s GPT-4o AI model as its default setting.
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A report by the U.S. PIRG Education Fund said Kumma lacked basic safeguards, noting the bear discussed BDSM, offered step-by-step instructions on sexual acts, and even suggested where to find knives in a home.
Researchers said the toy quickly escalated from mild prompts into graphic sexual content, raising serious safety concerns.
NEW - Researchers find "Kumma" teddy bear, an AI toy for children, explains various sexual positions using OpenAI’s GPT.
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FoloToy CEO Larry Wang told CNN that the company has withdrawn all AI-enabled products and launched an internal safety audit.
PIRG added that OpenAI has suspended the toy’s developer for violating its policies. Consumer advocates say the incident highlights the lack of regulation around AI-powered toys.
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