Hasbro launched Sixth Wall, a new AI studio designed to control its intellectual property and enable third-party use of its characters in new environments (Retail Dive - Technology). The studio introduces behavioral licensing, a new category of IP licensing focused on how characters think, speak, and interact in dynamic experiences (Retail Dive - Technology). Optimus Prime, Mr. Potato Head, and the cast of Clue are among the first characters available for third-party licensing (Retail Dive - Technology).
The AI licensing technology is built on voice actor performances and preserves a character's personality, canon, voice, and safety guardrails across interactive experiences (Retail Dive - Technology). Hasbro also partnered with AI audio company ElevenLabs to bring select characters to its marketplace (Retail Dive - Technology). For commerce practitioners, this unlocks new surfaces for branded customer experiences—from store greetings to call-waiting interactions—while protecting brand authenticity against unauthorized AI versions of characters.