AI toys are the rage in China — now they’re appearing on shelves in the US
MIT TECHNOLOGY REVIEW
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.
One of the latest entrants to the market is a toy called BubblePal, a device the size of a Ping-Pong ball that clips onto a child’s favorite stuffed animal and makes it “talk.” The gadget comes with a smartphone app that lets parents switch between 39 characters, from Disney’s Elsa to the Chinese cartoon classic Nezha.
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