Google Releases Gemini AI Chatbot to More, Younger Students

Google has reportedly released Gemini to younger students with workspace for education accounts, now allowing the artificial intelligence chatbot to 13-year-olds and older.

Google said on Monday that in the upcoming months, Gemini would be free of charge for all educational institutions and accessible to adolescent students in over 100 counties with Google Workspace for education accounts in English.

Before this, students had to be at least 18 to use Gemini. With the update, younger students can now enjoy the same benefits of Gemini in the US, as kids ages 13 and up can now access it. Google's minimum age limit for each country would apply to other countries.

Google claims that increasing access to younger brains was not a hastily decided move. It revealed that it collaborated with specialists in child safety and development to incorporate several extra safeguards and restrictions that prioritize safety.

One of these is added data protection for all school users, guaranteeing that Google won't utilize conversation data to hone its artificial intelligence models.

Google will also flag information that might be unsuitable for adolescent users and set trigger guardrails to keep inappropriate responses (like illicit substances) from coming up.

Learning materials tailored specifically for teenagers will also be offered, such as a new onboarding process that is teen-friendly and includes an AI literacy video endorsed by two organizations that promote online safety, ConnectSafely and FOSI.

In addition, as shown in the video below, parents, educators, and kids will receive information and training to help them use generative AI tools responsibly and effectively.

Gemini in More Devices

Launching Google Gemini for younger kids coincides with the recent expansion of Android phone users' ability to use the AI chatbot in Google Messages to over 165 countries.

Google has made its Gemini AI feature in Google Messages available on a wider range of Android phones, in addition to the Google Pixel and Samsung Galaxy handsets it first released.

Gemini, now available on additional Android phones, was formerly exclusive to popular mobile devices like the Galaxy S22 from Samsung and Google's Pixel 6, 7, and 8. For instance, it is believed that Infinix Note 40 Pro 5G users can see Gemini's welcome message, indicating a larger distribution.

Gemini on Other Countries

The new blog entry from Google emphasizes the noteworthy influence of Gemini's launch on the Indian market. Gemini has been adopted by users all around the nation for various activities, demonstrating the AI's adaptability and efficiency.

Although India continues to be the main focus of Gemini's growth, the major search engine has also released the standalone app and its paid version in Turkey, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka, among other South Asian and Eurasian nations.