- Google is preparing to offer its Gemini AI chatbot to children under 13 while warning that "Gemini can make mistakes."
- Parents can control Gemini's access through the Family Link app and can choose to turn it off altogether.
- Google says kids can use Gemini for homework help or narrating stories.
Google is preparing to launch its Gemini AI chatbot for children under 13. The search giant has started notifying parents via email that they will be able to control Gemini’s access for children through the Family Link app. This is the first time a major company is offering an AI chatbot for kids.
According to The New York Times, kids under 13 can use Gemini for homework help or reading them stories. Google says children’s chat with Gemini will not be used for training AI models. Having said that, Google cautions parents that “Gemini can make mistakes” and that children “may encounter content you don’t want them to see.”
Despite these concerns, Google is moving forward with the launch of Gemini AI for children. We already know that hallucination is not yet solved in the AI field, and AI chatbots regularly spout false information with great confidence. Now, how kids under 13 will be able to identify and distinguish accurate information from misleading responses remains uncertain.
Apart from that, young users are facing growing problems with AI chatbots. Just recently, a teen from Florida died by suicide following a deep attachment with an AI character on Character.ai. Young users are unable to distinguish between AI chatbots and real people.
Google, in its email, has said that parents should talk to their children and make them understand that AI is not human. And that parents can turn off Gemini access through the Family Link app, anytime they want.
