San Francisco-based Curio launched a new line of children’s toys on Thursday that use generative AI to interact with kids, and Grimes, music superstar, AI enthusiast and voice of Cyberpunk 2077’s Lizzy Wizzy, is on board.
“As a parent, I don’t want my kids in front of a screen and I’m really busy,” Grimes said in the Curio reveal video. “So we made toys called Gabbo, Grok, and Grem.”
Curio, launched in February by CEO Misha Sallee and chief toymaker Sam Eaton, says its toys are designed for children ages 3 to 12 and retail for $99. Grimes, an investor and advisor to Curio, also voices the character Grok. One of the AI-based toys shares a name with Elon Musk’s xAI’s generative AI, but the two are unrelated.
What adds to the intrigue of Grimes’ involvement in the Curio launch is that she and Elon, with whom she has three children, now individually own an AI venture called “Grok.” This blurs the lines between professional and personal relationships and adds another wrinkle to an already unconventional relationship. relationship.
In fact, Curio’s Grok is powered by xAI rival and ChatGPT creator OpenAI.
“By integrating AI into toys, children (and adults!) can explore their imagination and practice communication while having full conversations with Grok, Gabbo and Grem (yes, safety comes first and they are safe!),” a Curio spokesperson said. “He has excellent listening skills,” he said. decryption By email.
According to Curio, the collaboration with Grimes came in response to a Twitter discussion between Grimes and tech expert Roon.
“I think this is the first step to reducing screen time as much as humanly possible,” Grimes said. “I think the human mind tends to work much better when you get the screens out, and people aren’t stuck in a constant dopamine hit that incapacitates them in other aspects of their lives. ”
Created by science fiction legend Robert Heinlein in his 1961 novel “Stranger in a Strange Land,” Grok, which means “to understand,” has become popular among chatbot developers.
In November, Musk announced the launch of Grok on Twitter. Musk’s xAI claimed that Grok would be connected to Twitter’s information stream and have “real-time knowledge of the world.”
Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman took their rivalry a step further after launching Grok with an xAI chatbot, then trading insults with OpenAI’s flagship AI model, ChatGPT.
A tale of two brands
Musk’s Grok predates Curio’s toy, but a search of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s database of trademark applications shows that both xAI and Curio have active trademarks for “Grok.”
According to the USPTO, Curio filed a trademark application for Grok on September 12, 2023, which was updated “in real time” on October 2. Musk’s xAI later filed two applications for Grok, on October 23 and November 7, 2023. The status was updated to “live” on October 27 and November 10, respectively.
Notably, Musk announced the name of xAI’s chatbot on November 3, and the first users were granted access to Grok on November 5. Grimes’ Grok was released yesterday. In trademark disputes, public use of a trade name is one of the key criteria for establishing (or disputing) validity.
However, the two companies’ trademarks may not directly conflict.
Curio’s Grok is listed as an electronic learning toy, including novel items such as plush toys, talking dolls and interactive dolls “with the essence of artificial intelligence,” according to the filing. Musk’s Grok, on the other hand, is listed as downloadable computers and software for artificially producing human speech and text.
AI and children
Curio is not the first company to connect children with generative AI. Last October, Amazon announced a new Explore with Alexa feature that gives kids personalized, educational responses to messages.
AI toys are sure to find their way into homes during the holidays, but experts and policymakers warn that AI could be a source of harm and manipulation. A report from the Center for Countering Digital Hate in August found that generative AI tools were generating “harmful content” 41% of the time, including text and images related to eating disorders.
Facebook’s parent company, Meta, has invested heavily in artificial intelligence and was at the center of lawsuits in 34 states in October alleging that the company manipulated children through Facebook and Instagram, saying the social media sites were used to manipulate children. It added that it poses a risk to the mental health of people.
As AI chatbots become more common, psychologists also warn about the possibility of children becoming too attached to the technology.
“Children can form deep relationships with inanimate objects like teddy bears. Now you have this tool that gives you exactly what you need, because AI is amazing at figuring out what you want to hear and giving it to you. Because it is.” Psychologist and head coach Banu Kellner previously said: decryption.
Edited by Ryan Ozawa.