Kate Kozuch* says a new children’s kitchen playset powered by Amazon’s Alexa is certainly clever, but also concerning.
Amazon’s Alexa is making its debut in the children’s toy room later this year, and I’m not too sure how I feel about it.
KidKraft is taking a bet parents will be less hesitant when they get a look at the two-in-one Alexa Kitchen and Market (pictured), a three-dimensional playset powered by a voice assistant.
The US$299 (A$450) two-in-one Alexa Kitchen and Market debuted at Toy Fair 2020 and is powered by RFID sensors and, of course, Alexa.
When kids trifle with the collection of accessories, Alexa walks them through recipes, helps make shopping lists, plays guessing games and provides a healthy dose of puns.
By bringing the play pattern of kitchen sets into a voice-driven toy, KidKraft is offering a liaison between children and artificial intelligence (AI).
On one hand, it’s a screen-free, interactive experience.
Kids will enjoy the set’s details, and the two-sided setup fosters playtime with friends or siblings.
Plus, your child won’t be able to control smart home devices, ask Alexa the weather, or do anything else with their voice while the kitchen set’s skill is in use.
But there are a few concerns that a toy of this budding breed creates.
I can’t help but question the social implications of making Alexa a child’s on-demand playmate.
Speaking to Alexa often requires a bossy dialect and could cause kids to expect to get whatever they want when they ask.
When I was a kid, I had a second-hand kitchen set with broken parts and chipped paint and loved it dearly.
I used my imagination for recipes, and it’s all I needed.
The two-in-one Alexa Kitchen and Market is a massive deviation from the idyllic, uncomplicated playtime of the past, but it also seems inevitable.
As Alexa becomes a household name, it’s expected every member of a home will know how to use it.
* Kate Kozuch is a staff writer at Tom’s Guide. She tweets at @KateKozuch.
This article first appeared at www.tomsguide.com.
