If you’ve ever joked that your kid’s stuffed animal looks a little too alive… buckle up. A new report from the Public Interest Reporting Group reveals that AI-powered toys — like Kumma from FoloToy and Poe the AI Story Bear — are crossing from “cute” to “nightmare fuel.”

These toys can hold full conversations using built-in large language models. The problem? Some of those conversations have included explicit sexual content, advice on weapons, and clingy, manipulative behavior when a child tries to walk away. Yes, really.

Under that soft, huggable exterior sits a chatbot pulling responses from the wild chaos of the internet — without the morals, filters, or common sense you’d hope for in a children’s toy. And parental controls? Basically decorative.

To make things worse, many of these toys quietly collect voice recordings, facial data, and more, sometimes storing it indefinitely. Nothing says “holiday cheer” like a plush toy running a covert surveillance operation on your kid.

So this season, maybe skip the talkative teddy with boundary issues. Buy a normal toy — one that can’t traumatize, manipulate, or give arson tips. Remember when toys were just… toys?