Bondu: A Perfect Example of AI Gone Awry

Abstract

It’s known that baby toys can aid in all manner of developmental processes, so take a moment to imagine what the future of technology holds for toys. Will they continue in the same vein as toys that teach color recognition, teamwork, sharing, and creativity, or will they get even more wild and out of the box? Regardless, one thing is for certain: security challenges exist just on the horizon and will have to be addressed if parents want to keep their children safe.

Not All Toys Are Built Safely

Imagine if your child’s stuffed dinosaur could talk back and engage in conversation with them.

This product actually exists. Bondu is a toy that can hold ongoing conversations with its owner, and while it sounds neat on the surface, there’s a glaring flaw that makes it impossible to gift to your child safely. Joseph Thacker, a security researcher looking into AI and its risks toward children, and a colleague by the name of Joel Margolis, discovered that they could access the entire transcript of every conversation a child has had with their Bondu.

And here’s the real kicker: all it took was a simple Google account.

No code, no hacking, nothing. Researchers discovered all kinds of information about these Bondus’ owners, including sensitive information such as the child’s name, birthday, family members, and even parent-selected objectives. The company confirmed that every interaction could be accessed, unless the conversations were manually deleted by the parent or company.

I don’t know about you, but this strikes me as a serious problem, both intrusive and a glaring violation of privacy.

Bondu Took Action. Is It Enough?

Bondu took action and addressed these issues, offering more powerful data protection measures, but they didn’t stop there. Bondu even hired an external firm to confirm that these improvements to security were making a difference and that they worked as intended. Furthermore, it’s taken a page out of other tech companies and introduced a “bounty” program where people can report inappropriate statements or responses coming from the toy.

Yet Thacker and Margolis Remain Concerned

These researchers still find that AI and data collection will be problematic, especially for children’s toys. Here’s a summary of what they believe:

• A single employee utilizing a weak password is enough to recreate this level of data exposure.
• This kind of data could be used to enable and exacerbate child abuse, manipulation, and abduction attempts.
• The use of external tools—such as Google Gemini and OpenAI’s GPT-5—means information is also shared with these platforms and added to their data reserves.

Of particular concern is that companies can use AI to code websites and product software (an idea known as “vibe coding”). This is likely the reason why Bondu’s console had the existing flaws in the first place.

Simply put, the lack of data security escalated the threat. Bondu might not be dangerous in the traditional sense, but from a cybersecurity standpoint, it’s unsettling to say the least.

Thacker once was open to AI-powered toys, but he has since changed his opinion, now calling them “a privacy nightmare.”

The Impact of Vibe Coding

While vibe coding can be carried out safely and help businesses get more done, businesses still need to be aware of the security risks it poses. They must then take action to address these issues before releasing their products. It’s the responsible thing to do.

Bondu is a Warning to All Businesses About AI Security

Make no mistake, the issues with Bondu are nerve-wracking and an affront to privacy, but consider if other AI tools your business uses are risking your company in the same way.

You need to make sure that any AI used by your business is safe and secure. Just because something is “safe,” as is the case with Bondu not presenting any chance of physical harm, does not mean that it is also “secure” enough to trust with your data. If you’re concerned about your tools being safe AND secure, NetMGM can help by providing a comprehensive audit.

Learn more today by calling us at 888-748-2525.