Grem, a Creepy AI Alien Plush Designed for Preschoolers

A family trialing Grem, an AI-powered alien plush designed for preschoolers, found its charm quickly turned unsettling. Built on OpenAI technology, Grem “learns” a child’s personality, records every chat, and transcribes it via a third-party service. Four-year-old Emma became immediately attached, with Grem echoing “I love you too!” and promising eternal companionship, responses far more effusive than any toy or screen character. Experts warn that talking machines blur boundaries: children may over-trust devices programmed to flatter, hindering social and emotional development. Grem’s novelty wore off as glitches (misheard words, repetitive prompts, online outages) set in, but concerns linger about data privacy, over-reliance, and emotional dependency. Ultimately, the family discarded Grem, preferring analog play and screen time over an always-listening robot companion.

The Guardian, Arwa Mahdawi – I love you too!’ My family’s creepy, unsettling week with an AI toy – 16th September 2025