Google is opening the doors for teenagers to engage with Bard, the AI chatbot, starting this Thursday. In a recent blog post, Google outlines the implementation of guardrails to ensure a secure and educational experience for young users. Bard will be accessible to teens in “most countries around the world,” provided they meet Google’s minimum age requirement to manage their own accounts, which is typically 13, with exceptions listed in a support document.
Google’s Commitment to Teen Safety
Initially available in English, Google plans to expand Bard’s language options “over time” to cater to a diverse audience. To enhance safety, Google has introduced several measures to familiarize teens with generative AI concepts and shield them from inappropriate content.
As part of the onboarding process, Google will share educational resources, including a video offering a concise overview of generative AI and its potential pitfalls, such as hallucinations. When teens pose fact-based questions, the company will implement a double-check feature that cross-references Bard’s responses with Google Search results.
Bard’s Safety Features
Moreover, Google has equipped Bard with the ability to identify content unsuitable for younger users and has implemented safety features to prevent the display of illegal or age-restricted substances in responses to teens, ensuring a secure browsing experience.
In addition to safety enhancements, Google is introducing new features to Bard that benefit not only teens but all users. For instance, when users input a math equation or upload a picture of one, Bard will provide a step-by-step explanation of how to solve the problem, contributing to its utility as a valuable homework tool. Furthermore, Bard can create charts from tables or data in a prompt.
The Bard project, announced by Google in February, has come a long way since its limited early access launch in the US and the UK. Now available in over 230 countries and territories, Bard has evolved with additional features as Google competes with other chatbots like Microsoft’s Copilot and OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
With a focus on safety, education, and enhanced features, Google’s Bard aims to provide a positive and enriching experience for teenagers and users worldwide to learn and benefit from.
