Pinwheel Introduces AI-Driven Smartwatch for Children

For caregivers, giving a smart device to their tweens can be quite challenging due to the various online dangers. Pinwheel, a technology company committed to child safety, has launched a new product designed to keep parents linked with their children without the complexities of a smartphone.

The Pinwheel Watch is a newly released smartwatch designed for kids aged 7 to 14, offering a child-friendly alternative that limits access to social media and the internet. It features parental management tools, GPS tracking, a camera, voice-to-text messaging, engaging mini-games, and even an AI chatbot, providing a comprehensive experience.

With a sleek black design, the smartwatch has a screen slightly larger than that of an Apple Watch and comes at a price of $160, plus a $15 monthly subscription. It became available for purchase on Pinwheel.com last week, and we have been assessing its performance for several days.

In addition to standard parental oversight capabilities, some parents may have concerns regarding the watch’s AI assistant, named “PinwheelGPT.”

PinwheelGPT is designed as a safer alternative to traditional AI chatbots, allegedly allowing children to ask about a variety of topics, including daily curiosities, social interactions, and academic queries, according to the company’s assertions.

Nonetheless, many parents may already be doubtful about AI chatbots since they can sometimes provide inaccurate information. Furthermore, parents might argue that the conversational aspect of chatbots could foster unhealthy habits, leading children to rely on digital interactions instead of engaging in face-to-face conversations with family and friends.

As per the company, there are safeguards in place; the AI is trained to recognize topics that may be unsuitable for children, excusing itself from such dialogues and advising kids to consult a trusted adult instead. During our brief evaluation, we noted that PinwheelGPT successfully avoided addressing inappropriate or violent questions.

In addition, parents have full access to all interactions with the chatbot, including real-time and previously deleted conversations, enabling them to step in if any issues arise.

“We have encountered no pushback from parents since they can disable PinwheelGPT on the watch or turn it off through their controls if they feel uncomfortable,” noted founder Dane Witbeck, a father of four. “We do not collect any personal data from any users, children or adults, for training our AI models,” he underlined.

Witbeck’s company launched its first child-safe phone in 2020 and, four years later, achieved a ranking of No. 212 on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing companies in America for 2024.

Diving into the smartwatch sector seems to be a logical progression, enabling the company to effectively compete in the approximately $100 billion smart wearable market alongside major brands like Apple and Fitbit. Pinwheel believes it is strategically targeting the children’s segment for a competitive advantage.

It also distinguishes itself from other similar products, such as Fitbit’s Ace LTE, which emphasizes location tracking and health metrics.

Beyond the AI functionality, children can make calls and send messages using either voice commands or a keyboard. The watch also features a camera for video calls and selfies, as well as a voice recorder application. Additional applications include an alarm, calendar, calculator, and entertaining mini-games, such as a Tetris-like option.

Parental oversight is enhanced through the “Caregiver” app, which allows parents to establish a “Safelist” of approved contacts while also blocking specific phone numbers from being added.

Moreover, a Schedule tab enables parents to set various modes, ensuring children are device-free during particular times, such as in school or at summer camp. For instance, they can restrict contacts to only emergency numbers during school hours and shift to “All mode” later in the day, granting full feature access.

If necessary, parents can monitor text messages, which may be particularly useful for those with younger children. An AI text summary feature provides parents with brief overviews of their children’s text threads.

The Pinwheel Watch is currently available in the U.S., Australia, Canada, and the U.K., with plans to expand into additional markets soon. It will also be available on Amazon later this summer, although no specific date has been announced.