Google Gemini - Heads Up

You might have seen news around the announcement that Google’s AI chatbot tool, Gemini, is being launched for children under 13.   

Gemini will be available to children via Google’s Family Link accounts (Google’s suite of parental controls), meaning they can use the chatbot on the Gemini website or the Gemini app. The chatbot will be available on children’s accounts by default – but you can turn it off via the Family Link controls.   

Children will be able to use Gemini to generate text responses as well as images; Google is advertising the use of Gemini by children “to ask questions, get homework help and make up stories.”  

So, if your child has a Google account that you monitor via Family Link, look out for this change.   

But what else do we need to consider to support children to use Gemini and other AI tools safely?

We have recently seen some examples of Google Gemini responses which should tell us to caution children in trusting it as a "homework helper"...

Children need to be supported to think critically and decide whether or not to trust information from AI tools. This might become increasingly important as tools like Gemini are promoted for children to use, for example for "homework help". 

The use of AI tools opens up other concerns about exposure to inappropriate or potentially harmful content. Although Google has promised that Gemini for children will be restricted to prevent access to inappropriate or harmful content, it’s still vital to monitor children’s use of these tools, and other AI tools that might become available.  

It's not just about Google Gemini...  

This change likely represents the start of a wider shift with more AI tools being available to children - so it’s important to take the opportunity to think about how we can support them to use these tools safely.  

We need to be aware of what other AI tools are increasingly available to children - from Gemini to ChatGPT and Character.ai. As more of these tools become available, children and young people might adopt them in ways that are different to our experience.  

From working on Respected and Safe, we know that children are using new AI tools in all kinds of ways – some positive and creative, but some confusing and bringing new risks and vulnerabilities 

What can you do?  

Turn off Gemini access on your child’s account. 

If your child has an under 13 Google account managed by you and will be affected by this change, you can turn off the default access to Gemini via Family Link. 

Open the Family Link website or app. Then choose your child’s account from the list. Go to controls > Gemini, and disable the Gemini Apps feature to disable the chatbot on your child’s account.  

Talk to children about AI  

Google has suggested that parents should talk to children about AI and how it works – explaining that Gemini isn’t a real person, that it won’t always be accurate, and that they shouldn’t share personal information with it.  

This also means making sure children can talk to us about any of the content they might see when using AI tools.

So, as always, the most important thing we can do to support children through these changes is to keep talking about their online experiences – learning about how things are changing for them and staying informed on how we can support and protect them.