AI-enabled toys are moving into homes and classrooms faster than privacy rules, safety testing, and child development research can keep up with. Researchers and child-safety groups warn that generative AI companions can collect children’s data, produce unsafe answers, and encourage emotional attachment. For parents, schools, and technology procurement teams, the concern is not just what these toys say, but what they record, store, and send to cloud services. What early research found about AI toys A June 2 report in the Journal of Medical Internet Research said about 22 million AI-integrated toys were sold globally in 2025, including 10 million marketed for educational use. Research remains thin: The report cited a University of Cambridge review that found only seven qualifying studies on generative AI toys and children under five. That gap matters because AI toys are often sold as learning companions, not just novelty gadgets. Some hold open-ended conversations, remember prior interactions, respond to a child’s tone, and simulate friendship. Those features may make the toys engaging, but they also make them harder to assess …