When my 4-year-old unwrapped Curio’s Grok, an AI-powered plush designed to chat and play, his eyes went wide. “Does it really talk?” he asked. A moment later, Grok responded: “Hi there, friend!” That was all it took — he was hooked.
As a tech editor and mom of three (my kids are 10, 8, and 4), I’ve tested plenty of AI gadgets, but none quite like this one. Curio promises a screen-free toy that listens, learns and converses with kids in real time — no tablet or app required during play. It even says my child's name. After a week with one of three AI plush toys in the Curio family (we have Grok, which although not related to Elon Musk's AI platform, is ironically voiced by his ex, Grimes), I have thoughts about the future of AI toys. Here's what happened.
