Mattel is set to release the Hello Barbie doll, which can talk and interact with children, early this November, according to Mashable. The doll will be priced at $75 and utilizes voice-recognition software that allows it to have conversations with kids. The technology mirrors that of Siri, only with the ability to carry back-and-forth dialogue about topics such as their interests, goals and favorite ice cream flavors.
Hello Barbie will be used by connecting to its app via Wi-Fi. Her built-in microphone records audio, which is then transferred to Mattel's servers in New York, where one of thousands of lines are chosen from and streamed back.
Each of Hello Barbie's conversations are already mapped out and connected to a list of potential answers, which in turn trigger the next response used, according to the New York Times. If speech recognition fails or the answers do not match with any of the predicted responses, there are various "fallback" responses such as "Really? No way!"
Mattel experienced a backlash when the product was announced back in March, with many parents concerned about privacy issues, according to the Toronto Star.
Despite the backlash, millions of smartphones around the world utilize similar technology and come with built-in microphones and Internet connection capabilities.
