In Depth: China’s AI Toy Story

In a world where it seems like they’re putting chatbots into everything, the toymaking capital of the globe is no exception.

For much of the year, China’s toy manufacturing industry has been caught up in a frenzy for playthings powered by conversational artificial intelligence (AI). Earlier this year, listed toy-maker Shifeng Cultural Development Co. Ltd. (002862.SZ) released a cartoon bunny toy called Feifei Rabbit that can answer a child’s academic questions, thanks to the hybrid AI model embedded inside.