Kids' Groups Laud Mattel for Dropping AI-Enabled Device That Drew Privacy Worries

Mattel scrapping an artificial intelligence-enabled "Aristotle" baby monitor, which drew privacy concerns from lawmakers (see 1709290034), was praised by children's advocacy groups. In a Thursday news release, the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood and The Story of Stuff Project had sent a 20,000-plus signature petition to the company. "The backlash against Aristotle should send a strong message to other toymakers and tech companies," said CCFC Executive Director Josh Golin. Mattel confirmed the decision Thursday in an email, saying after Chief Technology Officer Sven Gerjets joined in July, he extensively reviewed Aristotle and "decided that it did not fully align with Mattel’s new technology strategy," canceling plans.