Curio, a startup based in Redwood City, California, is betting that the future of play will be cuddly, connected, and conversational. Its founders, Misha Sallee and Sam Eaton, have developed plush toys — named Grem, Grok, and Gaboo — that come with Wi-Fi-enabled voice boxes linked to an AI language model designed for children. At $99 each, these talking stuffed animals are positioned as a fresh alternative to tablets and televisions.

A New Take on Screen-Free Entertainment

For parents, the pitch is simple: toys that can chat, play, and spark imagination without relying on screens. Eaton describes the plushies as a “sidekick” that can make playtime “more stimulating,” giving parents a break from handing over a TV remote or tablet.

ALSO READ: iPhone 17 Vs iPhone 16: Should You Wait Or Buy An Apple Smartphone Now?

When AI Play Feels Uncanny

Not everyone sees it that way. Amanda Hess, writing for The New York Times, tested one of the toys and found the interaction oddly unsettling. During a demo, Grem suggested playing “I Spy” — despite the obvious limitation of not having eyes. She also highlighted the contradiction of selling these toys as “screen-free” when they are still powered by the same AI systems behind smartphones and apps.

Echoes of Familiar Characters

Children are already used to the idea of playful devices. From BMO in Adventure Time to Smartie on Sesame Street, entertainment has long blurred the line between gadgets and friends. Even Disney’s Mickey Mouse Clubhouse relied on Toodles, “a sentient tablet that instantly solves every challenge with ‘Mouseketools.’” As Hess pointed out, this primes kids to expect instant answers from machines.

The Privacy Question Parents Can’t Ignore

The toys also raise concerns about what happens behind the scenes. Every interaction is transcribed and shared with parents via an app. Curio insists the data isn’t stored for external purposes, though its privacy policy notes that conversations can pass through platforms like OpenAI and Perplexity AI. That means the stuffed animal children whisper secrets to could also be quietly sending information to the cloud.

ALSO READ: iPhone 17 Pro Or Pixel 10 Pro: Which Phone Could Offer More This Year?

Do Children Really Need Talking Toys?

The debate comes back to a fundamental question: should a toy act as a child’s playmate, or is imagination stronger when nothing talks back? Hess found her answer when she removed the AI voice box from a plushie. Her kids instantly returned to inventing their own games, reinforcing her belief that “the most magical toys are the ones that don’t need a voice box at all.”