Experts warn AI is reshaping childhood through toys, tutors and digital companions

A feature on The Cool Down, drawing on recent analysis in The Economist, describes how AI‑powered toys, tutoring systems and chatbots are increasingly mediating children’s play and learning, with some adolescents reporting AI conversations as equally or more rewarding than talking to people. While personalized instruction and adaptive games can help struggling students, experts caution that opaque AI companions risk narrowing kids’ information diets, undermining social skills and adding to the environmental footprint of large‑scale AI infrastructure.