Google’s Rollout of Gemini AI to Minors: Another Reckless Experiment on Kids Who Can’t Consent

(Washington, D.C., May 5, 2025) — Parents for Safe Online Spaces (ParentsSOS) strongly condemns Google’s decision to roll out its Gemini artificial intelligence chatbot to children under 13. This move reflects yet another reckless experiment on young users by a tech company willing to trade children’s safety for market expansion.

Even Google acknowledges the risks. In its own message to families, the company warns that children “may encounter content you don’t want them to see,” and urges parents to remind their kids that Gemini “isn’t human” and to fact-check its responses. It is deeply irresponsible to place the burden of critical thinking and media literacy on 8-, 9-, and 10-year-olds interacting with a sophisticated, unregulated AI system. Children are not equipped to carry the burden of distinguishing between reality and machine-generated misinformation. And parents should not be expected to “supervise” a product that was never designed with their child’s well-being in mind.

This rollout shows, once again, that Big Tech is willing to push forward with emerging technologies despite the risk—especially when those risks fall on the most vulnerable users.

ParentsSOS calls on lawmakers to take immediate action to prohibit the deployment of AI companions and chatbots to children. The current self-regulatory model is failing, and families are paying the price. This moment makes clearer than ever the urgent need for legislation like the Kids Online Safety Act, which would require companies to anticipate and prevent harms before they reach children’s screens.