Most screen-based devices encourage doomscrolling rather than mindful use. But China-based FoloToy, which creates artificial intelligence-enabled plush toys, aims to change that. The company believes children should be more than passive consumers of technology, and that they should have tech-enabled toys to interact with, learn from, and grow alongside.
FoloToy believes the world needs AI-powered interactive talking toys, which it has been creating in the shape of animals and plants for a few years now. The most advanced of them is the FoloToy AI Sunflower, announced at CES 2026. The fluffy plant-shaped toy is the first of its kind expressive AI companion that makes natural conversations with rhythmic physical expressions.
Designed to be a daily companion and guide to children, the AI Sunflower can listen, respond, and engage in playful conversations. Helping the kids to develop communication skills and stay entertained. It can therefore be your child’s friend, a tutor, and even a dance partner as it wiggles while talking.
Innocent-looking Sunflower is much more than its appearance. This 15 cm high robotic toy is powered by a battery, which can be recharged using USB-C. The toy can sit on a table or find a place beside your kid’s bed. And since it is made from durable, non-toxic materials, it is safe to use the toy with younger children as well. The Wi-Fi-enabled AI Sunflower supports conversations in English, Chinese, French, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish for now.
FoloToy envisions the Sunflower to become part of a family’s AI ecosystem in the near future. Its intelligence resides in the in-house built chipset and integration of the popular chatbot DeepSeek. With the prompt response courtesy ChatGPT 4, the AI Sunflower can engage and respond to child’s questions and comments, switch between characters to indulge in multi-language dialogues, while also singing and dancing in sync with the beat of any music it plays, FoloToy notes.
FoloToy suggests, the AI Sunflower is not an ordinary toy, its movements and vocals are dynamically generated to match the rhythm in real-time. Nothing is pre-recorded, and the toy is completely screen-free, ensuring joyful interaction without the dependence on a screen. Slated to go on sale soon, the AI Sunflower, unlike other toys that only talk or only perform recorded steps, has fluid expressions and responses inspired by the present.
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