Google to Allow Children Under 13 Access to Gemini Chatbot with Parental Controls

Google is set to allow children under the age of 13 to use its Gemini chatbot, provided they have parent-managed Google accounts. This move, scheduled to start next week, will be available to families using Family Link, a Google service that enables parents to supervise and control their children’s access to various Google services. According to a Google spokesperson, the company has implemented specific guardrails designed to protect younger users and has committed not to use data from these interactions to train its AI systems. The decision comes amid a broader trend in the tech industry, where chatbot developers are increasingly targeting younger audiences as competition intensifies in the AI sector. However, this expansion raises concerns about the safety and appropriateness of AI chatbots for children, given that these technologies are still imperfect and could potentially expose young users to harmful content or misinformation. The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has recently called for stricter regulations on the use of generative AI in educational settings, including the establishment of age limits and robust data privacy protections. Google’s approach attempts to balance innovation with safety by introducing additional protections for minors, but the move is likely to spark ongoing debate about the role of AI in children’s digital lives.