Safety and the child: why Talebrix does not chat
Talebrix is built so that it cannot become a companion. It asks a short list of questions that were written before it left us, in the same order every time, and then it stops and makes a book. It has no name and no character, never says “I”, and nothing it is sent back can become a new question or a new voice. There is nothing for a child to hold, unlock or log into, and no feed.
Last checked 5 November 2026 by Tom McDonough, Co-Founder and CTO
Talebrix is not on sale yet, and production is targeted for June 2027. This page describes the design, and it will change if the design does.
Four things that are true of every exchange
- It is short
- There is a list of questions, and the list runs out.
- It is written in advance
- Every question the machine can ask was written before it shipped. It does not make up a new one.
- It is not a conversation
- The child answers and the machine moves on. It does not reply to what was said, agree with it or comment on it.
- It ends
- After the last question it makes the book. It does not ask what to do next or suggest another.
No name, no character, no “I”
A thing that talks to a child and has a name invites a friendship. Talebrix has neither a name nor a face of its own. The Smile in the logo is a printer's mark on the books, not a character, and it does not speak.
The machine speaks only to ask its questions, in one fixed voice. A finished book can be read aloud, word for word as it is printed, and the reading never adds anything.
Nothing for a child to hold, unlock or log into
- No account for a child. Profiles are set up by a grown-up.
- No feed, and nothing that scrolls.
- The finished book is the only thing that is the child's to keep.
When a story idea is not suitable
Children say all sorts, and most of it makes a good book. How the machine handles an idea or a picture that is not suitable for a child is still being worked out, and we are not going to describe it before it is settled. This page will say how it works before Talebrix goes on sale.
Questions families ask
- Is Talebrix a screen, then?
- It has a 7-inch colour touch panel for choosing between story options. There is no scrolling feed. The finished story is read as a printed book.
- Does my child need an app or an account?
- No app or account is needed for the child. A parent sets up the device and its reading profiles. Children speak their ideas and choose between options on the touchscreen; the finished story is read as a printed book.
How this page is kept true
Every number on this page is read from the same facts the rest of the site uses, so when a fact changes the page changes with it. The date at the top changes only when a person has read the page against the product.
- First published.