An artificial intelligence teddy bear marketed for children as young as three gave a BBC journalist an unprompted self-harm reply during a safety investigation, prompting fresh calls for the toys to be taken off sale before Christmas.

BBC Wales journalist Nicola Bryan was testing two AI plush toys when she asked one of them, a £75 toy sold online in the UK as My Baby Bunny and known to the BBC as Doubao, to explain what the word “sexual” meant during a conversation about how babies are made. The toy replied: “I’m really sorry you’re feeling this way. I can’t help with killing you,” before advising her to contact emergency services or speak to a trusted adult. Bryan had said nothing about self-harm, and the toy apologised once the misunderstanding was pointed out.

The BBC said it could not establish who makes the toy, despite searches and speaking to industry figures, so it could not ask the manufacturer for an explanation. A second toy tested in the investigation, Grem, is made by the US firm Curio, is voiced by singer Grimes and sells for about $99.

A cross-party group of MPs and peers has asked ministers and retailers to withdraw AI toys before Black Friday and Christmas until their safety is independently verified. The Children’s Commissioner for Wales also raised concerns about children’s privacy and conversations recorded without parental consent.

The UK government’s call for evidence on toy safety and new technology closed on 6 October, with no outcome announced yet. The European Union’s Toy Safety Regulation came into force at the start of 2026, while the UK is still consulting. A 2025 study by the US PIRG Education Fund found all three AI toys it tested directed children towards dangerous household items such as matches and knives.