Google has announced the global availability of its AI chatbot, Bard, for teenagers in most countries, implementing safety measures to ensure responsible use. The Head of Product, Responsible AI at Google, Tulsee Doshi, stated that access to Bard in English will be extended to teens meeting the minimum age requirement to manage their own Google Account, with additional languages planned for the future.
Prior to the launch, Google consulted with child safety and development experts, including the Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI), to shape content policies and create a user experience prioritizing safety.
Bard serves as a platform for teens to find inspiration, explore hobbies, and tackle everyday challenges. It also functions as an educational tool, offering step-by-step explanations for math problems and assisting with data visualization.
Stephen Balkam, Founder and CEO of FOSI, highlighted the importance of GenAI skills for teens’ future, reflecting FOSI’s research findings. Google incorporated feedback from teens directly, addressing questions about generative AI usage and its limitations.
Safety features and guardrails have been implemented to prevent the appearance of unsafe content, and a double-check response feature assesses the accuracy of Bard’s responses to fact-based queries, considering potential hallucinations in large language models (LLMs).
