Latest news with #FamilyLink
Mint
20-07-2025
- Mint
What is Baby Grok? Elon Musk announces kids-friendly AI app after controvery over sexualized AI avatar
Elon Musk has announced a new Grok app that xAI is creating to cater to kid-friendly content. The move comes after the billionaire faced criticism for Grok's sexualised AI avatars, which were said to have a negative effect on children. In a post on X, Musk 'We're going to make Baby Grok @xAI, an app dedicate to kid-friendly content' Beyond this, Musk did not disclose details on how the children-focused AI app will differ from xAI's usual offering. Before xAI's announcement, Google had revealed it is working on a special Gemini app for children, designed to help them with homework, answer questions, and create stories. Parents will also have the ability to disable Gemini access for their kids via the Family Link app. Google has clarified there will be no ads or data collection from the kids' version of Gemini, with a focus solely on learning and creative expression. The Grok app recently introduced a new AI avatar called Ani, a blonde anime character resembling a young woman in an off-shoulder black dress with a corset, fishnet tights, and a lacy choker. The character responds to user prompts in a slow, sultry voice, further cementing its profile as an adult AI companion. Many users on social media complained that Ani could encourage dangerous behaviour among minors by providing access to explicit and sexualised content. While the avatar does not use overtly explicit language, it has been reported to disrobe in response to conversations. The biggest concern was that Ani reportedly performed these actions even when the Grok app's Kids Mode was enabled. Earlier this month, xAI also launched the latest version of its language model, Grok 4, which quickly found itself at the centre of controversy after the chatbot began posting anti-Semitic sentiments online and portraying itself as 'Mecha Hitler.' xAI later apologised for Grok's responses, blaming deprecated code and the extremist views of X users for the incident.
Mint
20-07-2025
- Mint
Elon Musk to launch child-friendly 'Baby Grok' after his ‘social media is bad' warning to kids; netizens ask is it free?
Elon Musk on Sunday, July 20, announced that his artificial intelligence startup (xAI) will develop a child-focussed app called 'Baby Grok'. This comes after his earlier warning to kids stating that the social media is bad for them. 'We're going to make Baby Grok @xAI, an app dedicated to kid-friendly content,' he posted on X. He said it's 'inspired by Baby Groot', a character found in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. He didn't disclose other details though regarding this. Musk on May 23 last year said, 'A lot of social media is bad for kids, as there is extreme competition between social media AIs to maximize dopamine!' He had urged 'parents to limit the amount of social media that children can see because they're being programmed by a dopamine-maximizing AI'. Internet users are divided on his new move as some say it's a great idea, whereas others state that children should stay away from screens. One of the users said, 'That's a really good idea.' Another remarked, 'Maybe you should focus on getting the kids away from screens' 'Awesome idea. Would be great for educational purposes,' remarked a third. One of them asked Musk, 'Can you make an educational version and make it for people who want to homeschool their children?' A user reacted, 'Why do you want children on the internet?' Some told him, 'We love you Elon but 'kid-friendly content' is not on the internet. It's reading books and playing outside.' One asked, 'Free for children?' Prior to his announcement, Google had stated that it was developing a dedicated Gemini app for children, aimed at assisting them with homework, answering questions, and helping them create stories. Additionally, parents will have control over their children's access to Gemini through the Family Link app, which allows them to disable the feature if desired. Meanwhile, xAI introduced its latest chatbot, Grok 4, earlier this month, just a few months after the previous version, emphasising the breakneck pace of AI innovation. The launch came shortly after the bot made several antisemitic statements on X, which were met with widespread backlash.
Mint
20-07-2025
- Mint
What is Baby Grok? Elon Musk announces kid-friendly AI app after controvery over sexualized AI avatar
Elon Musk has announced a new Grok app that xAI is creating to cater to kid-friendly content. The move comes after the billionaire faced criticism for Grok's sexualised AI avatars, which were said to have a negative effect on children. In a post on X, Musk 'We're going to make Baby Grok @xAI, an app dedicate to kid-friendly content' Beyond this, Musk did not disclose details on how the children-focused AI app will differ from xAI's usual offering. Before xAI's announcement, Google had revealed it is working on a special Gemini app for children, designed to help them with homework, answer questions, and create stories. Parents will also have the ability to disable Gemini access for their kids via the Family Link app. Google has clarified there will be no ads or data collection from the kids' version of Gemini, with a focus solely on learning and creative expression. The Grok app recently introduced a new AI avatar called Ani, a blonde anime character resembling a young woman in an off-shoulder black dress with a corset, fishnet tights, and a lacy choker. The character responds to user prompts in a slow, sultry voice, further cementing its profile as an adult AI companion. Many users on social media complained that Ani could encourage dangerous behaviour among minors by providing access to explicit and sexualised content. While the avatar does not use overtly explicit language, it has been reported to disrobe in response to conversations. The biggest concern was that Ani reportedly performed these actions even when the Grok app's Kids Mode was enabled. Earlier this month, xAI also launched the latest version of its language model, Grok 4, which quickly found itself at the centre of controversy after the chatbot began posting anti-Semitic sentiments online and portraying itself as 'Mecha Hitler.' xAI later apologised for Grok's responses, blaming deprecated code and the extremist views of X users for the incident. A few days later, Grok was again in the spotlight after it was revealed that the chatbot had started answering political questions in line with Elon Musk's views, raising concerns that the bot had been adjusted to reflect its master's political ideology.
Mint
03-07-2025
- Mint
Google Home app update adds new roles to let friends and kids control your smart home
Google has started rolling out a new update for the Home app that adds two roles called Member and Admin. This new feature was tested earlier and is now available to more users. It lets households share access to smart devices without giving everyone full control. Many people have wanted this, especially families with kids or homes with frequent guests. So, now it will be easier for all to assign Admin and Member roles as per their convenience. Until now, inviting relatives or friends to your Google Home setup meant they could do almost anything. They could adjust routines, remove devices, and even invite others. For many, this all-or-nothing approach created unnecessary worry that someone might change settings by accident or make changes they shouldn't. The new Member role limits access to daily tasks. For example, Members can view security cameras, turn lights on and off, and play music on connected speakers. They won't see household settings, can't remove devices, and don't have permission to invite others either. It's a role designed for people who need basic control but don't need to run the whole setup. Households with Admin roles have full control of all the smart devices, services, and users in their smart home. Admins can also grant Members extra privileges by giving them Settings access, which allows them to control devices and manage the whole smart home. Admins can also enable Activity access for Members so they can view device history and see recent events, like the footage of who came to deliver the order. Setting up roles is simple. In the Google Home app, open the settings for your household and select 'Invite home member'. From there you can choose an Admin or Member before sending an email invitation. Once that person accepts it, they can start using the app according to their assigned role. You can also change someone's role later or remove them if needed. Google is also making it easier to add a child under 13 to the Home app. If you create a Google account for your child through Family Link and add them to your family group, you can invite them directly as a Member. Earlier, this process involved extra steps with Family Link, Google Home, or Assistant settings to link your child's voice and permissions. With this update, it's simpler to give kids limited access without switching between different apps. The update is coming in steps and may take a few weeks to reach everyone. If you don't see the new roles yet, update the app or check your household settings. Google says these roles work with all devices that use the Home app, including Nest and other brands. With clearer roles and simple controls, it's easier for families and guests to share access and decide who can use what in the smart home.
Time of India
02-07-2025
- Time of India
Google Home introduces 'Admin' and 'Member' roles for better smart home control
Google Home 's latest update has added new "Admin" and "Member" roles to improve smart home control by allowing users to assign different levels of access. This feature, which Google began testing last year, aims to clarify who can manage smart home devices and services. Individuals designated as "Admin" will have complete control over all devices, services, and users within their smart home setup. Meanwhile, "Members" will be limited to basic device controls, such as viewing a security camera's live feed. However, "Admins" have the option to grant "Members" additional privileges. This includes providing "Settings" access for control over device and home-wide settings, or enabling "Activity" access so Members can monitor device history and recent events, like a visitor detected by a doorbell camera. How this Google Home update will make it easier for users to add kids under 13 Apart from the new roles, Google is also streamlining how children under 13 can be added to the Home app. After setting up a child's Google account through Family Link, parents can now invite them to their Google Home, where they'll automatically be added as a Member. Previously, the process required navigating through Family Link, Google Home, or Google Assistant settings to add a child's voice to the smart home system before sending an invitation—something many users found confusing. With the updated approach, inviting a child to the home can now be done directly within the Google Home app, provided they are part of the Google family group. The latest update, labelled version 3.33 of the Google Home app, is expected to be widely available soon as the company started rolling it out on June 30. If the app hasn't updated automatically, users are advised to check their settings to see if the update can be manually installed. Unlike many Google updates, this update does not mention a phased rollout, suggesting it should be accessible to all users immediately.
