Google is set to introduce the Gemini AI Chatbot next week for children under 13 who have Google accounts, as tech companies vie for the attention of younger users with their AI offerings.
“The Gemini app will soon be available for your kids,” the company informed an 8-year-old’s parent via email this week. “This means your child can use Gemini to ask questions and get assistance in creating stories for homework.”
Chatbots will be available to children using their parents’ Family Links, Google services designed for families to set up Gmail accounts and access services like YouTube for their children. To create a child account, parents need to provide information such as the child’s name and birth date.
Regarding Gemini, Google has established guardrails for young users, ensuring that chatbots do not generate certain unsafe content. Karl Ryan, a Google spokesperson, noted that data from children with Family Link accounts will not be used to train AI.
The rollout of Gemini for children is expected to help educational institutions, businesses, and others in assessing the efficiency of common generative AI technologies, thus broadening the use of chatbots among at-risk populations. These systems, which are trained on vast amounts of data, can produce human-like text and realistic images and videos.
Google and other developers of AI chatbots are fiercely competing to attract younger users. Recently, President Trump encouraged educational institutions to adopt these tools for learning. Millions of teenagers are already utilizing chatbots for learning support, writing guidance, and virtual companionship. However, a group of children has cautioned that chatbots can pose serious safety risks.
UNICEF and various national children’s advocacy groups point out that AI systems can be misleading, distorted, and manipulated, making it challenging for young children to understand that chatbots are not human.
“Generative AI is producing hazardous content,” noted UNICEF’s Global Research Office in a statement about the risks and opportunities posed by AI for children.
In an email to families this week, Google acknowledged some risks, informing parents that “Gemini can make mistakes,” and advised them to “help children think critically” about chatbots.
The email also suggested that parents educate children on how to fact-check the responses from Gemini. The company urged parents to remind kids that “Gemini is not human” and to “avoid sharing sensitive or personal information with Gemini.”
The email emphasized that, despite Google’s attempts to filter inappropriate content, caution is still advised.
Over the years, Google has rolled out various products, features, and safety measures for children and teens. In 2015, Google launched YouTube Kids, a dedicated app for children that remains popular among families.
Other initiatives aimed at attracting children online have raised concerns from government officials and child advocates. In 2021, Meta abandoned plans for Instagram Kids after a group of state attorneys general sent a letter criticizing the company for historically failing to ensure the safety of children on its platforms.
Several prominent tech companies, including Google, Amazon, and Microsoft, have faced significant fines for violating the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. Federal regulations mandate that children under 13 must obtain parental consent before any personal information is collected online.
With the launch of Gemini, children with family-managed Google accounts will soon be able to access the chatbot on their own. However, the company advised parents that they can modify their children’s chatbot settings to “disable access” if needed.
“Your child will soon gain access to the Gemini app,” an email to parents stated. “We will also notify you when your child first uses Gemini.”
Ryan mentioned that Google’s strategy for offering Gemini to younger users adheres to federal regulations concerning children’s online privacy.
Source: www.nytimes.com
