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Indian Express
05-05-2025
- Indian Express
Google plans to roll out its AI chatbot to children under 13
Written by Natasha Singer Google plans to roll out its Gemini artificial intelligence chatbot next week for children younger than 13 who have parent-managed Google accounts, as tech companies vie to attract young users with AI products. 'Gemini Apps will soon be available for your child,' the company said in an email this week to the parent of an 8-year-old. 'That means your child will be able to use Gemini' to ask questions, get homework help and make up stories. The chatbot will be available to children whose parents use Family Link, a Google service that enables families to set up Gmail and opt into services such as YouTube for their child. To sign up for a child account, parents provide the tech company with personal data such as their child's name and birth date. Gemini has specific guard rails for younger users to hinder the chatbot from producing certain unsafe content, said Karl Ryan, a Google spokesperson. When a child with a Family Link account uses Gemini, he added, the company will not use that data to train its AI. Introducing Gemini for children could accelerate the use of chatbots among a vulnerable population as schools, colleges, companies and others grapple with the effects of popular generative AI technologies. Trained on huge amounts of data, these systems can produce humanlike text and realistic-looking images and videos. Google and other AI chatbot developers are locked in a fierce competition to capture young users. President Donald Trump recently urged schools to adopt the tools for teaching and learning. Millions of teenagers are already using chatbots as study aids, writing coaches and virtual companions. Children's groups warn that the chatbots could pose serious risks to child safety. The bots also sometimes make stuff up. UNICEF, the United Nation's children's agency, and other children's groups have noted that the AI systems could confuse, misinform and manipulate young children who may have difficulty understanding that the chatbots are not human. 'Generative AI has produced dangerous content,' UNICEF's global research office said in a post about AI risks and opportunities for children. Google acknowledged some risks in its email to families this week, alerting parents that 'Gemini can make mistakes' and suggesting they 'help your child think critically' about the chatbot. The email also recommended that parents teach their child how to fact-check Gemini's answers. And the company suggested parents remind their child that 'Gemini isn't human' and 'not to enter sensitive or personal info in Gemini.' Despite the company's efforts to filter inappropriate material, the email added, children 'may encounter content you don't want them to see.' Over the years, tech giants have developed a variety of products, features and safeguards for teens and children. In 2015, Google introduced YouTube Kids, a stand-alone video app for children that is popular among families with toddlers. Other efforts to attract children online have prompted concerns from government officials and children's advocates. In 2021, Meta halted plans to introduce an Instagram Kids service — a version of its Instagram app intended for those under the age of 13 — after the attorneys general of several dozen states sent a letter to the company saying the firm had 'historically failed to protect the welfare of children on its platforms.' Some prominent tech companies — including Google, Amazon and Microsoft — have also paid multimillion-dollar fines to settle government complaints that they violated the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. That federal law requires online services aimed at children to obtain a parent's permission before collecting personal information, like a home address or a selfie, from a child younger than 13. Under the Gemini rollout, children with family-managed Google accounts would initially be able to access the chatbot on their own. But the company said it would alert parents and that parents could then manage their child's chatbot settings, 'including turning access off.' 'Your child will be able to access Gemini Apps soon,' the company's email to parents said. 'We'll also let you know when your child accesses Gemini for the first time.' Ryan, the Google spokesperson, said the approach to providing Gemini for young users complied with the federal children's online privacy law.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Yahoo
Kids under 13 will soon get supervised access to Google Gemini
Google Gemini is adding nannying to its chatbot skillset. According to a New York Times report, Google will make Gemini available to users under 13, so long as they're under a parent-managed Google account using Family Link. In an email sent to parents, Google said that kids will get access to Gemini to 'ask questions, get homework help and make up stories.' This expanded availability will come with guardrails for its new user base, Google spokesperson Karl Ryan told NYTimes, adding that it would prevent Gemini from offering up unsafe content to kids. In the email, Google acknowledged that 'Gemini can make mistakes' and recommended that parents teach their kids how to fact-check Gemini's responses. Along with double-checking, Google suggested reminding younger users that Gemini isn't human and to not enter any sensitive or personal data into conversations. Even with those measures, the email still warned that children could 'encounter content you don't want to see.' With the staggering pace of AI chatbot adoption, concerns about underage users have been bubbling up to the surface thanks to instances of factually incorrect or suggestive responses. In a report published last week, Common Sense Media warned that AI chatbots were 'encouraging harmful behaviors, providing inappropriate content, and potentially exacerbating mental health conditions' for users under 18. Recently, the Wall Street Journal reported that Meta's AI chatbots were able to engage in sexual conversations with minors. On top of dodging unsafe conversations, Google said it won't use any data from its younger Gemini users to train its AI models. For now, Google said it's gradually rolling out access to Gemini for supervised accounts.
India Today
03-05-2025
- India Today
Google just handed AI to kids under 13: Here is what parents should know
Google has recently started notifying parents that children under 13 will soon be able to access its Gemini AI apps on Android devices managed through Family Link, its parental control service. The move, first reported by The New York Times, marks a significant shift in how AI tools are made available to younger users — and has prompted a mostly negative reactions. Gemini, Google's AI chatbot, will soon be usable by children for activities such as reading stories and helping with homework. However, the company has issued clear guidance and cautions about the feature. In emails sent to parents, Google advises that 'Gemini can make mistakes,' and children 'may encounter content you don't want them to see.'advertisementThough Google has reassured users that children's data will not be used to train its AI models — in line with its approach for Education Workspace accounts — questions still hover around the safety and appropriateness of exposing young users to generative have already been troubling precedents in space. For instance, the AI platform which attracted a young audience, had to roll out stricter controls after lawsuits alleged the bots had served inappropriate content and blurred the lines between fiction and reality. Some users even believed they were communicating with real people. But here's a tip: Google, in its advice to families, encourages parents to talk to their children and clarify that 'the AI isn't human' and that they should 'not share sensitive information with the chatbot.'Access to Gemini can be enabled by the children themselves, so long as their devices are managed under Family Link. The platform allows parents to monitor their children's screen time, set app limits, and block access to certain types of content. However, Google spokesperson Karl Ryan confirmed to The Verge that parents can opt to disable Gemini access entirely through the Family Link settings. 'They will get an additional notification when the young person accesses Gemini for the first time,' Ryan further complicate the issue, former President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order aimed at integrating AI education into American classrooms. According to the White House, the order is designed to "promote AI literacy and proficiency of K-12 students." The move signals a strong federal push to familiarise children with artificial intelligence from an early introduction of Gemini to a younger audience brings AI into a new, more sensitive realm — the hands of children still learning how to navigate digital spaces safely. As tech companies expand the reach of AI, the responsibility to maintain safeguards and ensure transparency with families continues to Watch
Hans India
03-05-2025
- Hans India
Google to Introduce Gemini AI Access for Kids Under 13
Google is preparing to open its Gemini AI apps to children under 13, provided they are using devices monitored through Google's Family Link parental controls. According to The New York Times, parents have started receiving emails notifying them of the upcoming change. The company says the AI will help kids with tasks like reading stories or assisting with homework. Importantly, Google assures parents that, similar to its Workspace for Education policy, children's data will not be used to train its AI models. Still, the company acknowledges the risks, stating in the email that 'Gemini can make mistakes,' and warns that children 'may encounter content you don't want them to see.' Some mistakes could be minor or amusing—like suggesting glue as a pizza topping or miscounting letters in a word—but there are more serious concerns too. In previous AI controversies, platforms like have faced criticism for presenting bots as real people, leading to confusion among young users. That and allegations of inappropriate content prompted tighter regulations and more robust parental controls. In Gemini's case, Google is advising parents to speak with their children about the technology. They recommend explaining that Gemini is not a human and cautioning against sharing personal or sensitive information with the chatbot. Children will be able to activate and use Gemini independently through Family Link, Google's system that lets parents manage screen time, filter content, and monitor app usage. A Google spokesperson, Karl Ryan, confirmed to a popular media house that parents will receive a notification when their child uses Gemini for the first time and can disable access at any time via Family Link. With this move, Google is aiming to make AI more accessible to younger users while trying to keep safety a top priority.
Business Mayor
03-05-2025
- Business Mayor
Google plans to roll out its AI chatbot to children under 13
The chatbot will be available to children whose parents use Family Link, a Google service that enables families to set up Gmail and opt into services such as YouTube for their child. To sign up for a child account, parents provide the tech company with personal data such as their child's name and birth date. Gemini has specific guard rails for younger users to hinder the chatbot from producing certain unsafe content, said Karl Ryan, a Google spokesperson. When a child with a Family Link account uses Gemini, he added, the company will not use that data to train its AI. Introducing Gemini for children could accelerate the use of chatbots among a vulnerable population as schools, colleges, companies and others grapple with the effects of popular generative AI technologies. Trained on huge amounts of data, these systems can produce humanlike text and realistic-looking images and videos. Google and other AI chatbot developers are locked in a fierce competition to capture young users. President Donald Trump recently urged schools to adopt the tools for teaching and learning. Millions of teenagers are already using chatbots as study aids, writing coaches and virtual companions. Children's groups warn that the chatbots could pose serious risks to child safety. The bots also sometimes make stuff up. UNICEF, the United Nation's children's agency, and other children's groups have noted that the AI systems could confuse, misinform and manipulate young children who may have difficulty understanding that the chatbots are not human. 'Generative AI has produced dangerous content,' UNICEF's global research office said in a post about AI risks and opportunities for children. Google acknowledged some risks in its email to families this week, alerting parents that 'Gemini can make mistakes' and suggesting they 'help your child think critically' about the chatbot. The email also recommended that parents teach their child how to fact-check Gemini's answers. And the company suggested parents remind their child that 'Gemini isn't human' and 'not to enter sensitive or personal info in Gemini.' Despite the company's efforts to filter inappropriate material, the email added, children 'may encounter content you don't want them to see.' Over the years, tech giants have developed a variety of products, features and safeguards for teens and children. In 2015, Google introduced YouTube Kids, a stand-alone video app for children that is popular among families with toddlers. Other efforts to attract children online have prompted concerns from government officials and children's advocates. In 2021, Meta halted plans to introduce an Instagram Kids service — a version of its Instagram app intended for those under the age of 13 — after the attorneys general of several dozen states sent a letter to the company saying the firm had 'historically failed to protect the welfare of children on its platforms.' Some prominent tech companies — including Google, Amazon and Microsoft — have also paid multimillion-dollar fines to settle government complaints that they violated the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. That federal law requires online services aimed at children to obtain a parent's permission before collecting personal information, like a home address or a selfie, from a child younger than 13. Under the Gemini rollout, children with family-managed Google accounts would initially be able to access the chatbot on their own. But the company said it would alert parents and that parents could then manage their child's chatbot settings, 'including turning access off.' 'Your child will be able to access Gemini Apps soon,' the company's email to parents said. 'We'll also let you know when your child accesses Gemini for the first time.' Ryan, the Google spokesperson, said the approach to providing Gemini for young users complied with the federal children's online privacy law.
