Pinwheel introduces a smartwatch for kids that includes an AI chatbot

Pinwheel has launched a new smartwatch designed specifically for children aged 7 to 14, offering a safe alternative to typical smart devices by restricting access to social media and the internet. Priced at $160 with a $15 monthly subscription, the watch features parental controls, GPS tracking, a camera, voice-to-text messaging, mini-games, and notably, an AI chatbot named PinwheelGPT. This AI assistant is intended to provide kids with a safe way to ask questions about everyday topics, social interactions, and homework, while avoiding inappropriate content by encouraging children to speak with trusted adults instead. Parents have full oversight of all chatbot interactions, including deleted messages, and can disable the AI feature if desired. The smartwatch also supports calls and texts via voice commands or keyboard, video calls, and includes apps like an alarm, calendar, calculator, and games. Parental controls are managed through a “Caregiver” app, allowing parents to create approved contact lists, block unwanted numbers, and set schedules to limit