Mattel eyes festive boost with ‘big data’ Barbie

hello barbieBig data has seemingly invaded every part of business – and consumer – life but Mattel and its partner ToyTalk have taken it one step further by launching a big-data powered Barbie doll.
The artificial intelligence-driven Hello Barbie has a concealed microphone that records what anyone says to her and transmits it back to the servers at ToyTalk.
The recording is then analysed, the correct response selected and sent back for Barbie to answer, all in under a second.
All Barbie’s potential conversations are mapped out, with more than 8,000 lines of dialogue available to her as potential responses. Barbie also remembers what children say, storing answers to be used later in conversation.
The Mattel blurb states: “Using WiFi and speech recognition technology, Hello Barbie doll can interact uniquely with each child by holding conversations, playing games, sharing stories and even telling jokes. It’s a whole new way to interact with Barbie.She’s ready to discuss anything in an outfit that blends trendy and techie for a cool look.
“Just like a real friend, Hello Barbie doll listens and remembers the user’s likes and dislikes, giving everyone their own unique experience.”
However, not everyone is quite so impressed with big data Barbie, with US pressure group The Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood launching a campaign under the banner #HellNoBarbie, which warns parents against buying the toy.