Don’t Toy With ChatGPT!
We are very close to meeting products and experiences powered by artificial intelligence. Mattel, one of the giant names in the toy industry, recently announced that they will collaborate with OpenAI.
Mattel CEO Ynon Kreiz aims to transform the company from being just a toy manufacturer to one that produces movies, TV shows and mobile games based on its popular characters. Meanwhile, OpenAI continues to seek partnerships with companies with valuable intellectual property to help them develop new products based on iconic brands.
Mattel's brand portfolio is extensive. It includes brands such as Barbie, Scrabble, UNO and Hot Wheels. Mattel CFO Josh Silverman says that they will announce developments by the end of 2025 , and that "this is something that spans the full range of physical products and some experiences."
Toy Memories
The start of my career was in the huge stores of an international toy brand, where I took my first step into the retail world. While interactive toys have always been a favorite of children, robot cats and dogs sold millions of units when they first hit the market in the early 2000s. Thanks to their programmable modes, these dogs were a savior for those who couldn't have a dog at home because they were worried about shedding (!).
*By Toyloverz - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=19687619*
From 20 years ago, when we were fascinated by the interaction of these robot dogs, to today, when we will start interacting with AI in toys.
According to a study, 61% of parents with children aged 0-8 do not think that AI will have an impact on their children's critical thinking skills. Even 20% of parents think that AI has a positive impact on their child's creativity. Can ChatGPT, which you need to be 13 years old and above to use, support children's development, or will this collaboration only provide an experience based on "fun"? We may not be surprised if Barbie and Ken start speaking in their own language between each other.
What's in the Future?
With this new set of skills Mattel has access to, will they be able to deepen their engagement with their worldwide fan base as they stated in their press release? With the use of AI, which games and toys will lose the human interactive features we love?
While we wait for developments, what if Hasbro made an AI push in response to Mattel? As someone who loves Monopoly with its paper money, they lost me the moment they released a version with a pos machine. But when AI is involved, they can start rolling the dice according to ChatGPT realizing a sad tone of voice and roll a double six for our delight. It can referee our negotiations when we try to trade Tarabya. When the game gets too long, he can calculate the odds and offer the players peaceful settlement options to avoid a fight :)
For now, though, the best game is the one where we roll the dice ourselves.