{"id":11881,"date":"2020-04-17T17:52:54","date_gmt":"2020-04-17T21:52:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digital.hbs.edu\/platform-digit\/submission\/hello-barbie-ai-making-childrens-dreams-come-true\/"},"modified":"2020-04-17T17:53:18","modified_gmt":"2020-04-17T21:53:18","slug":"hello-barbie-ai-making-childrens-dreams-come-true","status":"publish","type":"hck-submission","link":"https:\/\/d3.harvard.edu\/platform-digit\/submission\/hello-barbie-ai-making-childrens-dreams-come-true\/","title":{"rendered":"Hello Barbie \u2013 AI Making Children\u2019s Dreams Come True"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hello Barbie <\/em>is the fulfillment of any child\u2019s dreams: since there have been toys, every kid has fantasized about having conversations with their beloved doll or stuffed animal. In the 20th<\/sup> century, toy makers got a step closer to turning dreams into reality with the commercialization of dolls that spoke several phrases and teddy bears that moved their ears while telling stories.<\/p>\n

In the last ten years, advances in artificial intelligence and big data have provided adults with devices that engage on conversations, such as Apple\u2019s Siri and Google\u2019s Assistant. But how are kids benefitting from these developments?<\/p>\n

The advances in artificial intelligence and speech recognition have spilled over to the toy industry. According to Mattel, the toy manufacturer and parent company of Barbie<\/em>: \u201cThe number one request we hear from girls is that they want to have a two-way conversation with Barbie doll.\u201d<\/em> By partnering with ToyTalk, an artificial intelligence company based in San Francisco, they\u2019ve now made that possible.<\/p>\n

Hello Barbie <\/em>is the first AI-powered doll in the market that uses speech recognition and progressive learning to engage with children. Priced at a premium to other dolls (over $80), the doll is programmed with more than 8,000 lines of dialogues and 20 interactive games. Its speech recognition technology is equipped with a microphone, a speaker and two LEDs, and is activated by a push-and-hold button located on the Barbie<\/em>\u2019s belt. The LEDs light up when the doll\u2019s speech recognition is active.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

After purchasing a Hello Barbie<\/em>, parents connect the doll to a WiFi network and create an account, which they can later use to access the child-doll conversations. Kids can start a conversation with Hello Barbie<\/em> by pressing the button on her belt. To hear Barbie<\/em>\u2019s response, the button must be released. The recorded dialogue is sent to a control center via a cloud system, where ToyTalk\u2019s speech recognition technology uses natural language processing to decide possible responses and select the best one.<\/p>\n

The conversation and data are sent back and forth between the Barbie<\/em> and the ToyTalk control center, with all the storage of the recordings and data-processing occurring in the cloud system. The full process (from the child speaking to Hello Barbie<\/em> replying) takes approximately only a second. The stored recordings are used by the ToyTalk team to improve its speech recognition technology. They are also used to remember things about that child in particular, so that Barbie<\/em> doesn\u2019t ask the same question twice and is prepared to ask follow-up questions. For instance, Hello<\/em> Barbie<\/em> can answer questions build on data from previous conversations, such as \u201cwhat should I be when I grow up?.\u201d According to several sources, in one demonstration the doll suggested being a dancer or a politician, or a \u201cdancing politician\u201d after learning that the child liked acting.<\/p>\n

Despite being in the forefront of the AI-powered toy revolution, Hello Barbie<\/em> received strong criticism from sceptical parents. First, Hello Barbie<\/em> calls into question the value of privacy. Should children\u2019s privacy be taken away without their consent or ability to understand what monitoring is? Second, many customers were doubtful about the use of the recorded data. Would Mattel and ToyTalk sell their children\u2019s data to marketers? Mattel tried to dismiss these concerns: \u201cToyTalk and Mattel will only use the conversations recorded through Hello Barbie to operate and improve our products, to develop better speech recognition for children, and to improve the natural language processing of children\u2019s speech<\/em>,\u201d a ToyTalk spokesperson said. Third, as with any AI-powered device, Mattel has to decide how the doll would respond to sensitive questions about gender, religion or self-esteem. Lastly, US security researchers warned that when connected to Wi-Fi the doll was vulnerable to hacking. According to several sources, hackers could easily access Hello Barbie<\/em>\u2019s stored information and take control of its microphone.<\/p>\n

Despite these concerns, it is clear the Hello Barbie<\/em> has opened up a new horizon for toy manufacturers around the world: whether and how to integrate AI capabilities in their product portfolios. Its speech recognition technology and natural language processing ability use the data collected from children around the world to become \u201csmarter\u201d: learning about children\u2019s interests, remembering previous conversations and providing each child with a customized and unique experience. As the creator and market leader of a whole new toy category, Mattel will benefit from its first mover advantage and ability to price these dolls at a premium. It has been reported that the toy manufacturer has been exploring a $300 hologram version of the doll. This premium, I believe, is justified: will children prefer a teddy bear that wiggles its ears or a Barbie who they can speak with for hours? I think that the answer is obvious.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Sources:<\/u><\/p>\n

\u201cHello Barbie Messaging \/ Q&A\u201d \u2013 Mattel Website \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 http:\/\/hellobarbiefaq.mattel.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/12\/hellobarbie-faq-v3.pdf<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cTeardown: The electronics of Hello Barbie\u201d \u2013 Microcontroller Tips (Apr-2017)\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 https:\/\/www.microcontrollertips.com\/teardown-electronics-hello-barbie\/<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cBarbie wants to get to know your child\u201d \u2013 The New York Times Magazine (Sept-2015)\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2015\/09\/20\/magazine\/barbie-wants-to-get-to-know-your-child.html<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cHackers can hijack Wi-Fi Hello Barbie to spy on your children\u201d \u2013 The Guardian (Nov-2015) https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/technology\/2015\/nov\/26\/hackers-can-hijack-wi-fi-hello-barbie-to-spy-on-your-children<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cPrivacy fears over ‘smart’ Barbie that can listen to your kids\u201d \u2013 The Guardian (Mar-2015) \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/technology\/2015\/mar\/13\/smart-barbie-that-can-listen-to-your-kids-privacy-fears-mattel<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cBarbie: Making products smarter with Artificial Intelligence\u201d \u2013 Bernard Marr & Co \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0 https:\/\/www.bernardmarr.com\/default.asp?contentID=730<\/a><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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