Won't somebody please think about the children?

Matt V
May 07, 2025

Parent are now getting emails saying their kids will soon be able to use Gemini to do things like get help with homework or listen to stories.

According to Google, children’s data won’t be used to train the AI, just like with its Education accounts.

That said, Google points out that Gemini isn’t perfect.

It can make mistakes, sometimes silly, sometimes less than ideal.

Think of suggesting glue as a pizza topping, or possibly showing content that parents might not be comfortable with.

The advice would be to have a chat with your child.

Let them know Gemini is NOT in fact a real person, and remind them not to share anything personal with it.

In brief:

Kids can use Gemini through Family Link unless parents choose to block it.
Google says children’s data won’t be used to train the AI.
Parents are encouraged to explain that Gemini isn’t human and could show things they’d rather their child didn’t see.

This move comes after other AI platforms like Character.ai faced backlash over inappropriate content, leading to more rules and stricter controls.

Kids under 13 can switch on Gemini themselves as long as Family Link is set up, but parents can turn it off whenever they like.

Google also says parents will get a heads-up the first time their child opens Gemini.

Parents: block the AI. Kids: enable Gemini at 12:01 am.