Congress Moves to Ban AI Chatbots in Toys Before Market Matures

U.S. Rep. Blake Moore introduced the AI Children's Toy Safety Act, which would make manufacturing or selling toys with embedded chatbots a Consumer Product Safety Act violation. California's Senate Bill 867 proposes a 4-year moratorium on AI chatbot toys. The legislative push arrives as manufacturers accelerate: Mattel partnered with OpenAI, Sharp launched PokeTomo in Japan, and Miko reports 700,000+ units sold globally. Regulators are moving faster here than with prior child-tech shifts, potentially constraining a category major manufacturers view as strategically essential.