Abstract
Since the early 2000s, the consumer market for artificial intelligence (“AI”) has boomed. Each year, tech giants like Apple and Samsung have released a new smart device in the form of a phone, television, DVD player, or household appliance. Within the last five years, the target market for these smart devices has expanded to include children. Toy manufacturers such as Mattel and VTech have started making toys that utilize wireless technologies such as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Two of the most notable and controversial smart toys to hit the market are Hello Barbie, produced by Mattel and ToyTalk, and My Friend Cayla, produced by Genesis Toys and Nuance Communications. These dolls were projected to produce substantial revenues of over two billion dollars. However, both toys have experienced rather disappointing returns, largely due to negative product reviews and more relevantly major privacy vulnerabilities exposed by data hacks. More specifically, both Hello Barbie and My Friend Cayla have received public backlash from privacy activists, concerned parents groups, and even the German Government. These smart toys were labeled as “creepy,” “insecure,” and an “espionage device,” as each device was released to the general public. Despite these smart toys’ lack of success, toy manufacturers continue to produce and release new smart toys of a similar structure and function. Some examples of the continued production of these smart toys include the releases of a revamped Teddy Ruxpin and Cloud Teddy.
Last Page
38
Recommended Citation
Corinne Moini,
Mandated Ethical Hacking - A Repackaged Solution,
23
Rich. J.L. & Tech
1
(2024).
Available at:
https://scholarship.richmond.edu/jolt/vol23/iss3/1