Bad News Bear
Whatchu Talkin’ ‘Bout, Teddy?
Every parent wants their child to have a bright future. Some start charting a path from Head Start to Harvard before the kid can even crawl. Others just buy “smart toys” and hope for the best.
Unfortunately, some smart toys are a little too smart.
Last month an AI-powered, talking teddy bear was pulled off the market after it began offering BDSM advice. During testing meant to ensure the bear was, you know… safe… Kumma — an innocent-looking, scarf-wearing toy bear made by Singapore-based FoloToy — described graphic sex positions and role-play scenarios involving teachers and students. Turns out a toy that was being marketed as "the perfect friend for both kids and adults" is actually better suited for OnlyFans.
And it didn’t stop there. Potty Mouth Paddington also shared tips on lighting matches, locating knives around the house, and gave step-by-step instructions for beginners interested in tying up sexual partners. We knew AI was coming for our jobs. Apparently it's also coming for our kid's innocence. Where's Chris Hansen when you need him?
The good news is Kumma has been bound and gagged. OpenAI revoked FoloToy’s access to its models, ensuring Raunchy Teddy Ruxxxxpin won’t be giving “The Birds & The Bees” talk to any five-year-olds this Christmas.
The bad news? Mom and dad still have to have that conversation one day.
Pick your poison.
Normalized Noise
What makes the Naughty Teddy Bear story unsettling isn’t just the content — it’s how easily it slipped through.
No villain monologue. No evil mastermind. Just a series of unchecked assumptions quietly stacking on top of each other until something wildly inappropriate made it to market wearing a scarf.
And that’s the real workplace lesson. Most problems at work don’t start as scandals.
They start as normalized noise — small decisions no one questions anymore.
At some point, someone thought:
“This model is probably fine.”
“Someone else must’ve reviewed it.”
“We’ll circle back before launch.”
And suddenly, Teddy’s teaching kink fundamentals to kindergarteners.
So, how can you avoid your own version of Foulmouth Fozzie Bear at work? Maybe try the following:
Periodically Ask: “What Have We Stopped Questioning?”
Every team has assumptions that calcify over time — processes, tools, vendors, or behaviors that were once temporary but quietly became permanent.
If something feels off but hasn’t technically broken yet, that’s usually the signal.
Pause long enough to ask: “If we were starting fresh today, would we still do this?”
Don’t Outsource Judgment Just Because You Can
AI, automation, templates, and playbooks are incredible accelerators — but they’re terrible babysitters.
If no one can confidently explain why something is acceptable, accurate, or appropriate, you’re not delegating work — you’re delegating responsibility.
And responsibility has a way of crawling back into your lap at the worst possible moment.
Red-Line Your Own Work Before Someone Else Does
Before shipping, presenting, or publishing, run a quick stress test:
- How could this be misunderstood?
- Who could this unintentionally harm?
- What’s the headline if this goes sideways?
If the answer makes you uncomfortable, congratulations — you just saved Future You from an awkward meeting.Create Space for the Inconvenient Voice
Every “how did this happen?” moment has one thing in common: Someone noticed… and didn’t feel empowered to speak up.Normalize phrases like:
- “This might sound dumb, but…”
- “Can we sanity-check this?”
- “I’m uncomfortable and can’t fully explain why yet.”That’s not friction — that’s quality control.
The truth is, most workplace disasters aren’t caused by bad intentions. They’re caused by good intentions left on autopilot.
So before you ship the next feature, launch the next initiative, or trust the next “smart” tool — take a beat. Make sure your project isn’t quietly teaching lessons no one signed up for.
After all, it’s one thing to let AI help with productivity. It’s another to find out it’s been giving the Birds & the Bees talk behind your back.
And nobody wants that meeting on their calendar.
Question of the Week
What’s something in your work that feels ‘normal’ now… but would absolutely raise eyebrows if you were seeing it for the first time?
