Google Bringing Gemini AI Chatbot to Teen Students in More Than 100 Countries
Gemini AI, Google's artificial intelligence chatbot, will soon be accessible to teen students through their Google Workspace for Education accounts. In an announcement made on Monday, Google revealed that Gemini, which was previously available only to users above 18 years old, will now be rolled out globally to students in more than 100 countries. The tech giant has implemented several safety measures to protect students from potentially harmful content while using Gemini. This was reported by SSPDaily.
To ensure a responsible experience for teen users, Google consulted with experts in child safety and development while developing Gemini. The chatbot will become available to teen students in the coming months, provided they meet Google's minimum age requirements. Access to Gemini will be facilitated through Google Workspace for Education accounts, which are exclusively offered to educational institutions meeting the required eligibility criteria. Students will be able to use Gemini free of charge with their Education account, although the service will initially be available only in English.
Google has taken additional measures to ensure the chatbot's safety and its role as an assistive tool for students. Enhanced admin controls will enable administrators to activate Gemini within the Admin console. By default, the feature will remain turned off until administrators grant access.
In countries such as India and the US, Gemini AI will be accessible to students aged 13 and above who are enrolled in educational institutions using Google Workspace for Education. Minimum age requirements for other countries can be checked accordingly.
Gemini has been calibrated to filter out inappropriate content for teen students and will include guardrails to prevent the display of unsuitable responses. An onboarding experience has been incorporated, which includes an AI Literacy video to help students understand the purpose and usage of Gemini. Additionally, Google is introducing a Learning Coach feature, powered by LearnLM, that will assist teens in their learning journey by providing step-by-step study support, practice activities, and encouraging critical thinking skills.
In addition to the extended access to Gemini, Google also unveiled Read Along in Google Classroom, a feature designed to nurture students' reading skills and offer real-time support. Educators can assign reading activities based on grade or phonics skills, while also gaining insights into their students' reading abilities. This feature will initially be launched in English on a global scale. Furthermore, Google aims to introduce Google Vids, a video creation platform, to Google Workspace Education Plus accounts later this year. Initially without AI capability, the AI version can be accessed through a Gemini for Google Workspace add-on.
Google's initiative to provide teen students with access to Gemini will facilitate their learning experiences with an additional layer of intellectual support, while simultaneously ensuring a safe and personalized environment.