“Children are still developing socially and cognitively.” And that is why, Jo Barnard, founder of the London-based design company Morrama and member of the UK Design Council, believes the new category of AI-powered toys are an emerging area of concern.   From conversational companions to emotion-sensing gadgets, these toys promise smarter play for children. However, researchers and designers contend that the technology may be arriving even before we fully comprehend its impact on children. Barnard is a key figure at the forefront of this conversation through her Mindful AI initiative, a framework that prescribes restraint, context, and child-centric design.  In an interview with indianexpress.com, she explained why one of the biggest misconceptions in designing AI for kids is treating them like scaled-down adults. “They learn by mimicking and can absorb new behaviours very quickly. They’ve got no way of critically thinking about whether something is fact or fiction or socially appropriate.” This, Barnard feels, makes even basic interactions with AI fundamentally different. The designer explained that voice recognition systems continue to struggle to interpret children …