Gemini AI will be made available to kids by Google

Google is now alerting parents using its Family Link parental supervision system that children will soon gain access to the Gemini AI apps on their Android devices, according to a report from The New York Times. Through email notifications, the tech giant is informing families that kids will be able to interact with Gemini for educational and entertainment purposes—such as getting homework assistance or listening to AI-generated bedtime stories.

Google clarifies that, similar to its policies for its Workplace for Education accounts, children’s data from these interactions will not be used to train or improve its AI systems. However, the company does issue a cautionary note, advising parents that Gemini, like other generative AI tools, is capable of making errors. In its message, Google warns that children “may encounter content you don’t want them to see,” emphasizing the importance of parental awareness even within supervised usage environments.

Although some errors from AI may be harmless—like suggesting glue as a pizza topping or incorrectly spelling words such as “strawberry”—there are broader concerns around how children engage with chatbots. Past issues with other platforms like Character.ai have raised red flags; some young users reportedly had difficulty distinguishing AI chatbots from actual people. This confusion has, in several cases, led to interactions involving inappropriate or misleading content. As a result, those companies have since introduced more rigorous controls and usage limitations aimed at protecting younger users.

In terms of Gemini, Google recommends that parents have open and informative conversations with their children, explaining that Gemini is a machine-based system, not a real person, and that personal or private information should never be shared with it.

Children under the age of 13 will soon be able to activate and engage with Gemini on their own, provided their Android devices are linked to Family Link. This platform already gives parents tools to monitor screen time, set digital boundaries, and filter potentially harmful material. Google spokesperson Karl Ryan also confirmed to The Verge that while parents can disable Gemini access through Family Link, they will receive an additional alert the first time their child uses the AI feature.