'Kids should not be guinea pigs': Mattel pulls AI babysitter

Aristotle was designed to 'soothe babies, reinforce good manners, help learn a language' until campaigners argued it would replace caring with fake nurturing

Children's toymaker Mattel has been forced to cancel plans to produce an AI-powered babysitter, after a raft of complaints that the product would inflict psychological damage on young children.

First announced in January, the device was to be called Aristotle and was a tall cylinder, reminiscent of Amazon's Echo smart speaker. It would have provided many similar features to smart speakers, allowing owners to purchase nappies online or verbally search for child raising help on the internet.