A.I. Toys
(digital series)
How does society construct gender through toys? This series is created with a machine learning model fed with real toy data marketed as “boys” and “girls” toys. These algorithmically generated toys reflect the gendered societal values we place on children through objects of play. Some of the toys the machine learning model has generated can be found here: http://ai-toys.net/
work in progress
These toy titles and descriptions are generated by a machine learning model trained on real toys currently for sale on Amazon and Target. The top row consists of toys generated from toys labeled “girls”, and the second row are toys generated from toys labeled “boys”. The contrast in content, use of adjectives, and color scheme reflects the way we indoctrinate gender norms through design objects such as toys.
Prototype of the algorithmically generated toys as a 3d print.
A website with some of the toys generated by the machine learning model: http://ai-toys.net/
Relevant Articles:
Preschoolers’ perceptions of gendered toy commercials in the US (Journal of Children and Media)
Breaking Gender Stereotypes in the Toy Box (NY Times)
Boys and Girls, Constrained by Toys and Costumes (NY Times)
Children's Responses to Gender-Role Stereotyped Advertisements (The Journal of Advertising Research)
The Gender Marketing of Toys: An Analysis of Color and Type of Toy on the Disney Store Website
Lego pledges to make toys more gender-neutral and eliminate stereotypes after global survey (Washington Post)
The Real Toy Story: Inside the Ruthless Battle for America's Youngest Consumers by Eric Clark
Medium
Machine learning model trained on toys scraped from Target and Amazon
Year
2020-2021
Tags
machine learning, toys, gender, a.i.
Production team:
Software: Ryan Thorpe
Design assistance: Michelle Lim, Andrea Li