The Program in Science, Technology, and Society invites you to the annual Arthur Miller Lecture in Science and Ethics on Monday, October 26^th from 4:00-5:30 pm in the MIT Welcome Center for a panel lecture titled “Artificial Companions: What AI Toys Mean for the Future of Childhood.” The panel features Professor Mimi Ito, Director of the Connected Learning Lab, Professor Sherry Turkle, Founding Director of the MIT Initiative on Technology and Self, and Mike Rizkalla, CEO & Founder of Snorble, a technology company that designs interactive, screen-free smart companion devices for children.

2026 Arthur Miller Lecture on Science and Ethics – Artificial Companions: What AI Toys Mean for the Future of Childhood

Join us for a discussion on how chatbots are shaping the ways children perceive human connection and care. By bringing together panelists from academia and industry, the event will consider the relationship of AI to child development and the social and ethical concerns it raises. AI might serve as a tool to amplify play, learning, and community if designed around child agency and authentic social bonds. Or it may present a danger to children, who lack defenses against mistaking pretend connection for real care. Perhaps it provides a chance to strengthen families and communities by giving parents respite or offering lonely children companionship. Together, the panelists will explore how AI is entering spaces of play and how the increased presence of chatbots in toys is changing the experience of childhood.

About Mimi Ito

Mimi Ito is a cultural anthropologist, learning scientist, entrepreneur, and an advocate for connected learning—learning that is equity-oriented, centered on youth interest, and socially connected. Her work decodes digital youth culture for parents and educators, offering ways to tap interests and digital media to fuel learning that is engaging, relevant, and social. She is Professor in Residence and John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation Chair in Digital Media and Learning at the University of California, Irvine, where she directs the Connected Learning Lab. The CLL stewards the Connected Learning Alliance, an expanding network of educators, experts and youth-serving organizations mobilizing new technology in the service of equity, access and opportunity for all young people. Mimi is also co-founder of Connected Camps, a non-profit providing online learning experiences for kids in all walks of life. Her publications include: Algorithmic Rights and Protections for Children (2023), Social Media and Youth Wellbeing (2020), The Connected Learning Research Network: Reflections on a Decade of Engaged Scholarship (2020), Affinity Online: How Connection and Shared Interest Fuel Learning (2018), and From Good Intentions to Real Outcomes: Equity by Design in Learning Technologies (2017). Her website is https://mimiito.com/

About Sherry Turkle

Sherry Turkle is the Abby Rockefeller Mauzé Professor of the Social Studies of Science and Technology in the Program in Science, Technology, and Society at MIT, and the founding director of the MIT Initiative on Technology and Self. She is a specialist in how technology changes us psychologically and socially. Her new book is on our relationships with chatbots —Artificial Intimacy: Who We Become When We Talk to Machines. It will be published by Little, Brown and Company on September 29, 2026. It captures the seductive, beguiling nature of our new faux companions, tracing their effects throughout a human life—from childhood to parenthood, from work to love and more. She warns that these machines are quietly reshaping us – teaching us to avoid risk, sidestep difficult conversations, deny grief, and relinquish skills that make us human: empathy, resilience, the ability to navigate uncertainty. Her website is https://www.sherryturkle.com/

About Mike Rizkalla

Mike Rizkalla is a visionary entrepreneur and creative technologist recognized for pioneering work in embodied AI and human-centered robotics. As the CEO and Co-Founder of Snorble, he leads a mission to democratize early childhood development through emotionally intelligent technology—bridging the worlds of Robotics, AI, animation, and education to empower families and inspire children’s growth. A veteran of the robotics and creative industries, Mike’s career spans over two decades of innovation at the intersection of storytelling and technology. He previously founded Brave New World, an award-winning product house, with its own AI, IoT and robotics lab that designed interactive products and experiences for global brands such as Ford, Google, YouTube, DefJam, Scholastic, Target, UFC, Discovery Channel, MTV and Blackberry. Their work in the lab incubated Snorble and helped shape a new generation of character driven AI companions. Widely regarded as an expert in embodied AI systems, Mike advises multiple startups and funds in the robotics ecosystem, collaborating with leading engineers, investors, and visionaries advancing humanoid robotics and AI ethics worldwide. His passion lies in developing technologies that foster empathy, imagination, and connection—bringing “technology with heart” to life. His website is https://www.mikerizkalla.com/

To Attend

Please RSVP here if you plan to attend in person; we hope to see you there!