  Interactive storytelling is vital for preschooler development. While
children's interactive partners have traditionally been their parents and
teachers, recent advances in artificial intelligence (AI) have sparked a surge
of AI-based storytelling technologies. As these technologies become
increasingly ubiquitous in preschoolers' lives, questions arise regarding how
they function in practical storytelling scenarios and, in particular, how
parents, the most critical stakeholders, experience and perceive these
technologies. This paper investigates these questions through a qualitative
study with 17 parents of children aged 3-6. Our findings suggest that even
though AI-based storytelling technologies provide more immersive and engaging
interaction, they still cannot meet parents' expectations due to a series of
interactive, functional, and algorithmic challenges. We elaborate on these
challenges and discuss the possible implications of future AI-based
storytelling technologies for preschoolers. We conclude by highlighting the
design implications for future AI-based storytelling technologies.
