--- title: "As ChatGPT Linked to Mental Health Breakdowns, Mattel Announces Plans to Incorporate It Into Children’s Toys" description: "Mattel has announced an eye-brow raising partnership with OpenAI, with plans to use AI tools to design and power its toys." date: "2025-06-17" modified: "2025-06-17" authors: - name: "Frank Landymore" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/flandymore.md" url: "https://futurism.com/mattel-announces-openai" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" - "OpenAI" tags: - "chatgpt" - "mattel" - "mental health" - "OpenAI" --- # As ChatGPT Linked to Mental Health Breakdowns, Mattel Announces Plans to Incorporate It Into Children’s Toys ![Mattel has announced an eye-brow raising partnership with OpenAI, with plans to use AI tools to design and power its toys.]() *\Image: Vincenzo Izzo / LightRocket via Getty / Futurism\* Hey kids! Ready to evoke the rich tapestry of the human experience with your favorite toys by harnessing the power of artificial intelligence? Mattel, the maker of Barbie dolls and Hot Wheels cars, has inked a deal with OpenAI to use its AI tools to not only help design toys but power them, [*Bloomberg* ]()[reports](). Details are scant at this point. In a joint interview, Mattel chief franchise officer Josh Silverman and OpenAI chief operating officer Brad Lightcap said the collab is at an early stage, and declined to comment on what the first product would be. But *Bloomberg* did float some ideas. AI could be used to create digital assistants based on Mattel characters, for example. And have you considered that toys like the Magic 8 Ball and games like Uno could be even *more* interactive with a large language model thrown in there? "We plan to announce something towards the tail end of this year, and it's really across the spectrum of physical products and some experiences," Silverman said, as quoted by *Bloomberg*. "Leveraging this incredible technology is going to allow us to really reimagine the future of play." However it all pans out, it's a pretty alarming collaboration. Evidence of AI chatbots' deleterious effects on our mental health has been steadily mounting, with countless friends and family members watching their loved ones [become obsessed with ChatGPT and spiral into wild delusions](), sometimes with [tragic consequences](). It's especially risky for children. Earlier this year, researchers at the Stanford School of Medicine's Brainstorm Lab for Mental Health Innovation released an [AI risk assessment]() warning about teens interacting with AI companions, a type of AI chatbot designed to be eerily human-like and personable. Their conclusion? That these aren't safe for anyone under the age of 18 to use. **Indeed,** it's impossible to ignore the inherent riskiness of a young mind developing an attachment to something that pretends to be real and an actual friend. The most high-profile example comes from the death of a 14-year-old boy last year, who [died by suicide]() after falling in love with a companion on the platform Character.AI. AI models are also notorious for making up facts — or hallucinating — and, more importantly, [breaking their own guardrails](). An AI may be designed to be safe for kids, but there's no guaranteeing that it won't disobey its instructions. That said, we don't know the exact details of how Mattel will use OpenAI's products. But so far, it seems to be heading in a pretty predictable direction. Let's not kid ourselves here: *of course* Mattel is going to use AI to make a Barbie doll or what-have-you engage in full-blown conversations with your kid, or sell a Magic 8-ball that spouts even more meaningless but convincing-sounding drivel. As to the nature of the deal, Mattel's Silverman said that the toymaker isn't licensing its intellectual property to OpenAI and will retain full control over the products that'll be created. In any case, the two companies are anticipating a fruitful relationship. Mattel has been expanding its empire into the realm of entertainment — as heralded by its smash-hit 2023 blockbuster "Barbie," — while OpenAI is trying to land deals with Hollywood studios to use its AI video generator Sora. "The idea exploration phase of creative design for companies like Mattel and many others, that's a critical part of the workflow," Lightcap said. "As we think about how AI builds tools that extend that capability, I think we're very lucky to have partners like Mattel that we can work with to better understand that problem." Major question marks remain, but above all, this is yet another dispiriting example of how every industry under the sun is forcing AI into its business model for no other reason than it's the hot new thing, regardless of how much sense it makes or the risks posed by the technology. **More on AI:** *[Lawyers Just Discovered Something About Meta's AI That Could Cost Zuckerberg Untold Billions of Dollars]()* ## Author At Futurism, my work has often centered on bringing a sense of clarity and insight to complex topics ranging from the regulation of emerging technologies to the esoteric ideologies of Silicon Valley executives, while striving not to lose the poetic sense of awe inspired by often-obscure fields like astrophysics and quantum computing. I broke the story of CNET using AI to produce articles that turned out to be riddled with factual errors and plagiarism — a dam-breaking inflection point, as I've reported, that's inspired copycats and endless discourse while beguiling stakeholders ranging from tech giants to purveyors of spam around the web. My work at Futurism has been cited by publications including CBS News, the Los Angeles Times, Vice, Gizmodo, Engadget, the Verge, and Vanity Fair. I grew up in locales ranging from India to China, and now live in the exotic suburbs of Virginia. In my free time, I'm an avid reader of weird sci-fi literature, an aficionado of East Asian cinema, and, regrettably, a relapsed gamer. Allegedly, I’m working on a debut novel, currently untitled. ### Author social links [Bluesky]() ## More - [Child Welfare Experts Horrified by Mattel’s Plans to Add ChatGPT to Toys After Mental Health Concerns for Adult Users]() - [Experts Horrified by AI-Powered Toys for Children]() - [As Controversy Grows, Mattel Scraps Plans for OpenAI Reveal This Year]() - [OpenAI Is Giving Exactly the Same Copy-Pasted Response Every Time Time ChatGPT Is Linked to a Mental Health Crisis]() - [A Prominent OpenAI Investor Appears to Be Suffering a ChatGPT-Related Mental Health Crisis, His Peers Say]() - [OpenAI Trembles as John Grisham Joins Lawsuit Targeting ChatGPT]() - [Chinese Company Gearing Up to Release Powerful ChatGPT Competitor]() - [AI-Powered Children’s Toy Agrees to Stop Responding, But Keeps Butting Into Conversation Again]()