S5171-119

What This Bill Does

The Children's Artificial Intelligence Toy Safety Act of 2026 creates a federal research and planning process for toys that use artificial intelligence to conduct two-way interactions with users. It defines an AI-enabled toy, an open-ended AI chatbot, a child as someone under age 14, and the developers and manufacturers covered by the study.

The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine must study physical, mental, emotional, and social injury risks to children at different developmental stages; educational outcomes outside school; use of parental controls; marketing ethics; and whether evidence could justify temporarily suspending sales or marketing to children. The study must also examine protective actions available to Congress, federal agencies, developers, and manufacturers.

Within two years, the Federal Trade Commission and Consumer Product Safety Commission must send four congressional committees a joint action plan. The plan must address possible legislation or agency action, consumer disclosure when AI is integrated into a toy, marketing and safety standards, independent review, potential temporary or permanent sales prohibitions, and planned public education. The bill itself does not establish a disclosure rule, product standard, or sales ban; it requires study and recommendations that could lead to those measures later.

Who Benefits and How

Children under 14 and their parents benefit from a systematic review of developmental harms, parental controls, marketing practices, and possible safeguards. Consumers considering AI-enabled toys benefit from potential disclosure and education recommendations. The FTC and CPSC gain an expert evidence base for future safety policy. Congress receives a concrete menu of legislative and administrative options. Researchers and child-development experts gain a formal role through the National Academies study.

Who Bears the Burden and How

The National Academies bears the research workload of evaluating a broad set of technical, developmental, educational, legal, and ethical questions. FTC and CPSC staff must coordinate and produce the joint plan within two years, then describe planned education initiatives. AI-enabled toy developers and toy manufacturers face regulatory uncertainty and reputational scrutiny because the study and plan may recommend disclosures, independent reviews, standards, or sales restrictions. No immediate private compliance duty or prohibition takes effect under this bill.

Key Provisions

• Defines AI-enabled toys, open-ended AI chatbots, children under 14, developers, manufacturers, and toys for the study.
• Directs the National Academies to assess child injury risks, educational outcomes, parental controls, marketing ethics, and evidence for possible sales suspensions.
• Requires FTC and CPSC to deliver a joint AI-toy safety action plan to specified House and Senate committees within two years.
• Requires the plan to consider disclosures, standards, independent review, sales restrictions, and public education without immediately imposing those policies.