Toy giant Mattel has struck a strategic partnership with Sam Altman’s OpenAI that will see artificial intelligence-powered products help develop and launch fan experiences based on iconic toy brands.
The first product driven by OpenAI’s technology, which includes ChatGPT and other generative AI tools, will be unveiled laster this year.
Mattel said using OpenAI’s technology “will bring the magic of AI to age-appropriate play experiences with an emphasis on innovation, privacy, and safety.”
The toy maker will also integrate AI tools like ChatGPT Enterprise into its business operations to spark ideas and drive innovation.
“We’re pleased to work with Mattel as it moves to introduce thoughtful AI-powered experiences and products into its iconic brands, while also providing its employees the benefits of ChatGPT. With OpenAI, Mattel has access to an advanced set of AI capabilities alongside new tools to enable productivity, creativity, and company-wide transformation at scale,” Brad Lightcap, COO at OpenAI, said in a statement on Thursday.
Fan experiences based on Mattel brands include the Thomas & Friends: World of Sodor attractions and rides, full-scale Barbie Beach House and a Masters of the Universe laser tag arena built to mirror the iconic Castle Grayskull fortress.
The Mattel deal follows partnerships OpenAI has signed with a range of media companies, including The Atlantic, News Corp., The Daily Telegraph and The Financial Times.
The deal comes in the face of major Hollywood figures, including Ron Howard, Cate Blanchett, Cynthia Erivo, Paul McCartney and Paul Simon, pushing back against OpenAI and Google lobbying the U.S. government to allow their AI models to train on copyrighted works.
