News4 November 20266 min readAlan Fox

MPs urge retailers to take AI chatbot toys off sale before Christmas

MPs and peers want generative AI chatbot toys taken off sale before Christmas. What the letter means for your Christmas list, plus screen-free alternatives.

Affiliate Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, AIToys.co.uk earns from qualifying purchases. Some links in this article are affiliate links; if you buy through them we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you.

On Tuesday 3 November 2026, a cross-party group of MPs and peers wrote to Amazon and eBay urging them to take toys with built-in generative AI chatbots off sale ahead of Black Friday and Christmas, "until independent testing shows they are safe for children, including for psychological, developmental and privacy harms, not only physical safety" (Press Association, via Radio Royal). The letter is a call for action: nothing is banned, and buying one is still legal. The photograph is a Yoto Player (3rd Gen), not the unnamed toy in the video.

As an Amazon Associate, AIToys.co.uk earns from qualifying purchases.

What MPs and peers asked for

They also wrote to Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds, asking the government to "prohibit the supply of toys with built-in generative AI chatbots to children under 16" under existing consumer protection law, and for a dedicated commodity code so HMRC, Border Force and Trading Standards can identify and stop these products at the border and on online marketplaces.

They said the concern is "not a fault in one product" but "a new category of toy that no UK regulator tests for psychological, developmental or safeguarding harm". The Observer reported that MPs want chatbots tested like other consumer products.

In a video seen by the Press Association, a fluffy pink rabbit-face AI toy gave an adult, sexualised answer to a question about touching. The exchange is not repeated here.

According to the Press Association report, Amazon said it was "in the process of removing this product as we investigate" and that it is exploring whether "proper guardrails for these products are in place as this technology develops". There is no sitewide recall. eBay told the Press Association it works "closely with regulators to address emerging product safety concerns".

Baroness Finlay of Llandaff, a crossbench peer, told the Press Association: "No parent buying a cuddly toy for a three-year-old could imagine it answering their child's innocent questions with adult sexual responses. These toys are on sale now with no one checking what they say. The government already has the power to stop them and it should use it before Christmas."

Jess Asato, Labour MP for Lowestoft, told the Press Association: "These toys should not be anywhere near young children until someone has checked what they say."

A government spokesperson told the Press Association: "We are concerned by these reports and are urgently investigating the products identified as well as the potential risks posed by AI in toys through our recent call for evidence." The Office for Product Safety and Standards (Department for Business and Trade) call for evidence on toy safety, including AI-enabled toys, ran from 6 July to 6 October 2026.

If one is on your Christmas list

It is still legal to order one, and the category has not been recalled. Are AI toys safe for children? Christmas 2026 gift guide

How to tell them apart

Warning phrases: "AI friend", "talk about anything", "learns about your child". A narrower toy plays chosen audio or runs a sequence from buttons, cards or a remote.

The Safe AI for Children Alliance advises against toys that hold open-ended conversations and act as a friend or companion. A narrow function, such as vocabulary practice, must be assessed separately. A March 2026 University of Cambridge study by the AI in the Early Years project at the Faculty of Education observed three- to five-year-olds with a GenAI toy. Published on 13 March 2026, it recommends tighter regulation and that parents research these toys and play alongside their children.

Before you buy:

Always-on microphone or push-to-talk.
Wi-Fi and cloud processing of speech.
Privacy policy, account holder, and whether voice is stored (UK smart toy privacy).
Parental controls and offline mode.
Age label, and an adult supervising.
A shared room if the toy chats.

What AI does here

A chatbot toy captures speech on a microphone, typically sends it to a cloud large language model, and speaks the reply. Your child's questions leave the house. Create the account yourself, read the privacy notice, and stay nearby.

A screen-free coding robot runs a fixed sequence from cards, buttons or a remote and does not chat. See screen-free and screen-based coding toys.

The age on the box is the manufacturer's play guidance, not a psychological or safeguarding test. Small parts, batteries and wheels need an adult.

Screen-free alternatives on Amazon UK

As an Amazon Associate, AIToys.co.uk earns from qualifying purchases.

Four toys were in stock on Amazon UK on 4 November 2026. The listings describe screen-free audio or button-and-card coding, with no open-ended chatbot. They are not certified safe. Notes below are from the manufacturer listings only.