Barbie-maker Mattel and OpenAI partner to develop AI-powered products
Mattel billed the alliance as a "strategic collaboration to support AI-powered products and experiences based on Mattels' brands." It added that the pair would likely announce their first product later this year, as the toymaker strives to get ahead of the AI curve.
The collaboration will combine Mattel's most well-known brands — including Barbie, Hot Wheels, American Girl and more — with OpenAI's generative AI capabilities to develop new types of products and experiences, the companies said.
"By using OpenAI's technology, Mattel will bring the magic of AI to age-appropriate play experiences with an emphasis on innovation, privacy and safety," Mattel said in the statement. It added that any AI woven into toys or games would be used in a safe and secure manner.
On the corporate front, Mattel said it plans to leverage OpenAI's business tools including ChatGPT Enterprise — an enhanced version of ChatGPT designed for businesses — to power new product development.
The collaboration is yet another signal that virtually no field is insulated from disruption by AI. Mattel touts OpenAI's tools as having the ability to improve both its business operations and enhance its product development processes. Initially promoted as a way to automate mundane tasks and free up humans to do more creative jobs, generative AI tools are becoming increasingly sophisticated and capable of doing more than just rote work.
OpenAI Chief Operating Officer Brad Lightcap said the company is "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 companywide transformation at scale," he added in a statement.
Amid flagging toy sales, Mattel has leveraged its intellectual property to produce other forms of entertainment, including movies, television and mobile games. The company's studio arm has a slate of more than a dozen films planned based on its famous toy brands, following the success of its 2023 "Barbie" movie.
Mattel is also among a number of large U.S. retailers that have pulled their financial guidance amid ongoing economic uncertainty. Last month, Mattel paused its full-year guidance for 2025 citing tariff-driven uncertainty. The company also said it would raise prices on some goods to offset added costs form tariffs.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Vogue Arabia
4 days ago
- Vogue Arabia
Would You Let a Robot Give You a Facial?
You'd be hard pressed to find an industry that hasn't been impacted by artificial intelligence. From scheduling and customer service to delivery options and even healthcare, AI is changing how we do business. It's also changing how we do beauty. There's Sephora's AI-powered recommendations that analyse customer data to suggest relevant products. Nimble is a new product on the market that uses AI and 3D scanning technology to give you a personalised shellac manicure in 20 minutes. And then there's AI that develops personalised skincare products and routines. In the area of hyper-personalisation, technology that allows for customised skincare sounds like a beauty-lovers dream. But could there be a downside? Here's what Nadia Aminian, celebrity facialist and senior aesthetician at Taktouk Clinic, has to say: 'Currently, aestheticians often use AI at the beginning of a facial, with skin scanning devices. AI can help create a bespoke facial, by identifying areas that need a bit more love for an overall rejuvenated look,' she explains. 'It's also used in high-tech treatments, like Exion Face, which uses a unique combination of monopolar radiofrequency and an AI controlled energy delivery system. This enables a deeper tissue penetration, without requiring full needle insertion while doing Fractional Radio frequency.' However, nothing beats a hands-on approach. 'There's just something about a practitioner's touch,' she adds. 'AI can't replicate energy or understand pressure points. I also don't fully trust AI when it comes to skincare, because actually touching and feeling the skin is such a critical part of a good facial.' While she sees AI as being a beneficial supporting tool for beauty treatments, she cautions clinics and aestheticians alike from becoming too reliant on them. 'A skin expert needs to touch a person's skin in order to do a proper analysis, because how skin feels plays such a significant role in how healthy it is,' she says. She also worries that an over-reliance on AI for diagnosim skin concerns could hinder newer aestheticians' growth and expertise. And she's not wrong for these concerns. A recent MIT study showed that long-term use of ChatGPT could have detrimental impact on critical thinking skills. So while artificial intelligence is effectively streamlining menial tasks, it also runs the risk of reducing talent development and expertise.
Vogue Arabia
24-07-2025
- Vogue Arabia
The Rise of the Modern Bride: Unconventional Wedding Dresses That Break All the Rules
As weddings evolve into multi-day affairs, each moment with its own mood, spending thousands on a one-time-only outfit just doesn't cut it. A bride might wear a vintage pantsuit backwards à la French-Algerian influencer Mina Habchi for the civil ceremony, a gold gazar Sandra Mansour dress to walk down the aisle and a tassel-hemmed Nafsika Skourti top over a mini skirt for the after-party. The common thread? The outfits can be restyled and re-worn, unlike a gown destined to spend eternity zipped into a garment bag. In Beirut, Sandra Mansour approaches bridalwear as a form of personal expression, with versatility being key. From bridal shirts that pair effortlessly with everyday looks to dresses that can be worn post nuptials, she designs with longevity in mind. 'The philosophy that bridal pieces should live beyond the wedding day is becoming essential. We're increasingly designing for women who choose tailored suits, sheer embroidered separates or second looks that offer fluidity and comfort without compromising on impact,' adds Mansour. Polka dot dress, to order, Valentino Then there are brides who want garments infused with a story. Cue New York-based designer Shereen Mohammed and her cult three-piece Ishq set in ivory – 'Ishq' meaning love – crafted in homage to 90s Bollywood. 'The silhouette came from a place of storytelling and cultural memory,' she says. While Mohammed never set out to design bridalwear, it started with friends and clients asking her to create something personal for their weddings. Her Aliyna dress, initially made for a friend's backyard ceremony, is another example. Inspired by the sculptural volume of archival Madame Grès ball gowns, Mohammed reinterpreted it as a pared-back silhouette that could be dyed and reworn. 'There's something beautiful about seeing a bride in a sheer gown or a pant-set, just owning their moment. It's less about impression and more about feeling. Brides want to feel fully themselves.' Ultimately, it's no longer about one perfect dress but a series of personal choices that come together to tell a story. In this new era, authenticity is the real statement. Here comes the bride–dressed, unapologetically, as herself. Photography: Ben Tons Styling: Jessica Gerardi Hair: Naoki Komiya Make-up: Bea Sweet Nails: Robbie Tomkins Set design: Harry Stayt Model:Freya Nutter With thanks to McQueens Flowers
Vogue Arabia
22-07-2025
- Vogue Arabia
'The Devil Wears Prada 2': Shooting, Cast, Release Date, Synopsis and Everything About the Most Awaited Sequel
It looked like it was one of those internet rumours that come and go from time to time, but nope. The Devil Wears Prada 2 is a reality and will be released much sooner than we imagined, just in time to celebrate the twentieth anniversary of the 2006 film directed by David Frankel in which he adapted the novel of the same title by Lauren Weisberger that was a bestseller since its publication in 2003. In it, Weisberger narrated in the first person her experience as assistant to the editor-in-chief of one of the most important fashion magazines in the world, Runway . A sort of transcript of this magazine that served as a vehicle to uncover the vanities of the fashion world, but also to give the importance it deserves to an industry often branded as frivolous and insubstantial. It was in 2006 when this adaptation of The Devil Wears Prada , which has even had a musical version in London and New York, hit theatres. A cast with Meryl Streep in the role of Miranda Priestley, Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt ran like clockwork for a film that became an instant classic and garnered two Oscar nominations that year, for Streep's performance and Patricia Field's incredible costumes. Since then, the film has positioned itself as a reference work for all fashion lovers and has become the less brainy and rather more punkish reverse of other feature films that delve into the world of fashion, such as Robert Altman's unforgettable Pret-a-porter . And in Hollywood where a dearth of ideas has become a running joke, the sequel was a given. What's more, Streep, Hathaway and Blunt took the stage at the 2024 SAG Awards to recreate one of the film's iconic scenes and hint that something was brewing. And so it has been. Who's in the cast of 'The Devil Wears Prada 2'? As we've already discussed, Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway and Emily Blunt will return as Miranda, Andy and Emily once again. Stanley Tucci is confirmed to return as Nigel. Joining the cast is Kenneth Branagh in the role of Miranda's husband. Simone Ashley, Lucy Liu, Pauline Chalamet, B.J. Novak and Justin Theroux will also be in the cast. The one who will not return, confirmed, is Adrien Grenier, who in the first installment plays Nate, the real villain of the film according to some fans. What is 'The Devil Wears Prada 2' about? Miranda Priestley has to deal with the loss of influence of luxury magazines and, above all, the lack of advertisers in traditional media. Runway is not what it used to be and to get it afloat again she will have to desperately get the investment of a group of luxury brands that now runs. Emily, the unfortunate character of Emily Blunt in the first of the films, has finally been able to travel to Paris fashion week. Nothing has been announced about Andy Sachs, the recent journalism graduate played by Anne Hathaway. We will remain expectant. Is it possible to see the trailer of 'The Devil Wears Prada 2'? Not yet. Only a clip has been advanced in which the heel of the original film has been multiplied by two and the iconic phrases of the first feature are heard in the background.
