AI toys: not just toys, but also emotional carriers

In the toy factory in Chenghai, Guangdong, plush toys with built-in AI chips are being produced at a rate of 30 units per minute. They are no longer traditional "toys", but "intelligent companions" who can understand instructions, emotions, and even engage in conversations with people. According to data from the Huajing Industry Research Institute, the scale of China's AI toy market has exceeded 10 billion yuan in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 40%. Behind this number are the intertwined needs of Generation Z, the single economy, and an aging society, indicating a revolution in the toy industry is taking place.

From "button sound" to "emotional resonance": the technological leap of AI toys

The form of AI toys is rapidly iterating. In the past, children could only interact with toys through buttons, but now, technologies such as speech recognition, emotion computing, and multimodal interaction have given toys a "soul".

AI pendant: Let ordinary toys speak up

The innovative BubblePal and the AI Magic Star from Shifeng Culture imbue ordinary toys with interactive capabilities through pendant forms. Users simply need to long-press the button to converse with the toy. After 9 months of research and development, BubblePal's activation volume surpassed 10,000 units in its first month of sale, with an average daily usage time exceeding 30 minutes. This product category bypasses the IP approval process and shortens the launch cycle, but is constrained by the button interaction mode, necessitating further exploration of more natural voice interaction methods.

AI Plush Toy: Hard Core Technology Underneath Soft and Cute Appearance

The "conspicuous bag" plush toy launched by ByteDance and the intelligent teddy bear doll of Shenlan Technology realize vibration and sound interaction through built-in AI hardware. The latter can even recognize children's emotions and generate emotion charts for parents' reference. This type of toy has a wide audience, covering children and young women, and its low unit price (300-500 yuan) is driving rapid market penetration.

 

AI Robots: Evolution from "Toys" to "Partners"

Tesla's robot toys such as Tesla Bot Action Figure and Love Little Companion AI Milk Dragon stand out with their mobility and flexibility. Aixiaoban AI Milk Dragon is equipped with Guanghetong MagiCore solution, which supports global 4G networking and long memory function, and can understand user emotions and conduct personalized conversations. In the first week of listing, sales exceeded expectations, becoming an "exclusive accessory" for urban young people.

 

The Rise of Emotional Economy: The 'Healing Power' of AI Toys

At the Cultural Expo, the top IP "Milk Dragon" booth of Chinese animation was extremely popular. The cute and playful image originally positioned in the children's market has been upgraded to an "emotional partner" through AI technology, becoming an "emotional decompression valve" for urban young people. A user sighed, "It won't solve all problems, but it will always be online waiting when you need it"

 

Children's Market: Dual Needs for Early Childhood Education and Companionship

AI early education toys help children learn language, mathematics, and other knowledge through dynamic interactive functions in games. Shenlan Technology's Teddy Bear Intelligent Doll, with the core concept of "growth companionship+scientific enlightenment", has built five functional systems of growth companionship, role-playing, and subject enlightenment.

Young people: Social assistants and emotional outlets

AI trendy games integrate emotional companionship, social assistants, and other functions, becoming an "emotional decompression valve" for urban young people. The AI pendant device launched by Friend company has a built-in LLM model, which meets the companionship needs of the workplace through real-time meeting recording and emotional support.

Elderly population: filling emotional gaps

AI companion robots integrate health monitoring and smart home control functions to fill the emotional gap in an aging society. Luobo Intelligent's "AI Trendy Play" is expected to be mass-produced next year, specifically designed for the elderly.

Business Model Innovation: Subscription Services and Content Ecology

The profit model of AI toys is breaking through the "one hit deal". CITIC Securities pointed out that AI toys can form a "content+service" business model by continuously charging users for large model calling fees. For example, Aixiaoban AI Milk Dragon provides personalized conversations and character settings, and users can unlock more interactive content through subscription services.

 

Subscription Service: An Engine for Continuous Revenue

Subscription services have become an emerging profit model. Users can unlock more AI features and content through paid subscriptions, forming a stable cash flow.

 

IP+AI: Market Strategy for Dual Wheel Drive

Enterprises integrate IP content into AI toy systems by collaborating with top tier IPs. For example, "artificial productivity" collaborates with top tier IPs to trigger game processes with props, enabling a single hardware to support multiple gameplay modes.