Kids have always played with and talked to stuffed animals. But now their toys can talk back, thanks to a wave of companies that are fitting children’s playthings with chatbots and voice assistants.
It’s a trend that has particularly taken off in China: A recent report by the Shenzhen Toy Industry Association and JD.com predicts that the sector will surpass ¥100 billion ($14 billion) by 2030, growing faster than almost any other branch of consumer AI. According to the Chinese corporation registration database Qichamao, there are over 1,500 AI toy companies operating in China as of October 2025.
Human connection is HARD these days, but so valuable. It’s been at the heart of every great thing we’ve accomplished. Even when you have it, it’s tricky. You never get everything you want from another person, and you get a lot that you don’t like. But after all that, you still get what you need.
When we let AI replace human connection we’re creating something worse than a drug. AI connections are easy and since it doesn’t have its own needs, it can seemingly give you everything you want. If that’s a possibility, what hope is there for real human connection.
We’ve created a highway to a fast food restaurant, but you have to cut through the jungle 3 hours to have a home cooked meal. Who can or will eat healthy in these conditions?
This is the biggest threat to humanity we’ve ever created, and this is only ONE ASPECT of AI. I’m absolutely terrified for our future. I see so few paths towards something good and so many towards painful and difficult outcomes. I wish I had Dr Strange’s time stone so I could know what actions to take now that would lead us towards one of the good paths.