Toymaker Mattel says Hello Barbie is the world's first "interactive doll" due to its ability to record children's playtime conversations and even respond once the encrypted audio is transmitted to a cloud server.

But the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood launched a petition last week to halt the release of the toy, which is scheduled to reach U.S. shelves for $74.99.

Susan Linn, the organization’s executive director said that while Kids using 'Hello Barbie' think they are talking to her, they will in fact be having a conversation with a toy conglomerate whose only interest in them is financial.

In an online video, a Mattel presenter at the 2015 Toy Fair in New York says the new doll fulfills the top request that Mattel receives from girls: to have a two-way dialogue.

"They want to have a conversation with Barbie," she said, adding that Hello Barbie will be "the very first fashion doll that has continuous learning, so that she can have a unique relationship with each girl."

Hello Barbie, which is still in prototype form, can tell stories, listen, learn and adapt according to a child's playtime preferences. Its listening function is activated only when a button on Barbie's belt buckle is pressed.

Mattel says Hello Barbie's talkback abilities should only be enabled once parents have given consent by signing into an app, creating an online profile.