Nannies Move Over, Mattel’s Smart Baby Monitor Is Moving In

Between the lullabies and diaper purchases, the baby’s nanny is getting some competition. Mattel has just unveiled the world’s first smart baby monitor named Aristotle.

She — yes “she” — is similar to Alexa and Siri but specifically focused on children.

Mattel made the announcement in advance of the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Aristotle has an HD camera, is voice-controlled and is ready to purchase all those necessary diapers, read a variety of bedtime stories, lull the baby to sleep with a lullaby or white noise and even teach foreign words and animal noises. With its variety of colors and Bluetooth/Wi-Fi speaker, the basic concept, according to Mattel executives, is to create a technology that grows and stays with the child.

“My purpose in life is to help comfort, entertain, teach and learn from you,” Aristotle says when activated. The device, which is powered by Qualcomm processors, Microsoft programming and search engine Bing, responds to spoken commands similar to Amazon’s Echo and will be available for $300 starting this summer. Partnerships are already underway with Target, Babies“R”Us and other retailers, with more slated to come.

There have been concerns about toys and other smart devices collecting data on children, but Mattel said the built-in encryption keeps all the data safe, in addition to parental controls.

Robb Fujioka, Mattel’s chief products officer, said there are plans to pair with other toy products, such as Hot Wheels, for interactive capabilities, which would allow the child and device to grow together — ultimately, giving that old nanny a run for her money.

AI devices are gaining in popularity, steamrolling virtual reality headsets this holiday shopping season for a variety of reasons. It’s a departure from what analysts had originally speculated earlier this fall. Amazon set a record with its Echo sales this holiday season, with the company even selling out.

For more Internet of Things (IoT) news, check out PYMNTS’ Internet of Things Tracker.