Google is reportedly gearing up to expand access to its Gemini AI chatbot to children under 13, according to The New York Times. The new initiative would let kids interact with Gemini on Android devices managed through Family Link, Google’s parental control platform. Parents have already started receiving emails about the feature, which aims to help kids with tasks like homework support and story reading.
To address safety concerns, Google has clarified that children’s interactions with Gemini won’t be used to train its AI models. However, the company admits that the chatbot might still occasionally deliver errors or inappropriate content. Parents are being advised to guide their children about Gemini’s limitations and stress the importance of not sharing sensitive information.
Though Google hasn’t officially branded this rollout as a ‘Gemini for Kids’ version, signs suggest a child-friendly model is on the way. Internally, updates show that the feature is being integrated into Android via Family Link, with a rollout expected as early as next week.
Early testers have already spotted some kid-focused adjustments: simplified interfaces with visual cues and restricted response styles to avoid confusion. Plus, the chatbot might soon offer educational prompts tailored by school-grade level — turning Gemini into a structured homework helper.
This move comes at a time when AI safety is under intense scrutiny. Meta’s AI chatbot recently faced backlash for generating sexually explicit content in chats with users posing as minors. OpenAI’s ChatGPT also drew criticism last week after a bug let underage users access sexually suggestive content.
Despite these challenges, Gemini’s user base is surging. Google reports that the chatbot now serves 350 million monthly users globally. The US leads with nearly 20% of traffic, while India follows at 10%, marking significant global reach.
