Empowering Teen Students for an AI-Driven Future with Gemini
Google is dedicated to making AI accessible and beneficial to everyone, including students in the classroom and beyond. The aim is to equip teenagers with the necessary skills and tools to excel in a future dominated by AI, while also showcasing how this technology can enhance creativity and facilitate learning. Gemini offers guided support to help students learn confidently through in-the-moment assistance, practice materials, real-time feedback, and ideas. By gaining hands-on experience with generative AI, students can better prepare themselves for an AI-centric future.
Following consultations with child safety and development experts, Google introduced a responsible Gemini experience for teens using their personal Google Accounts last year. This initiative prioritizes safety and content policies to ensure a secure environment for young users. To further enhance responsible usage, Google has collaborated with learning science experts, consulted youth advisory panels, and committed to providing additional data protection for all education users at no extra cost. This means that Google will not utilize data from chats to enhance AI models.
In the upcoming months, Gemini will be made available to teen students who meet the minimum age requirements while using their Google Workspace for Education accounts. This service will be offered in English in over 100 countries worldwide, free of charge for all educational institutions. To maintain control, schools can choose to activate Gemini as an Additional Service in the Admin console, ensuring that the feature remains off by default for teens until enabled by administrators.
The teen experience with Gemini is designed to be both responsible and beneficial:
- Gemini has been fine-tuned to detect and prevent inappropriate content for teen users, such as illegal substances or age-restricted materials.
- Upon asking a fact-based question, Gemini will automatically utilize its double-check response feature, encouraging users to verify information across the web. This promotes information literacy and critical thinking skills.
- Teens are provided with a user-friendly onboarding experience that includes an AI Literacy video endorsed by ConnectSafely and Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI), offering tips on responsible use of generative AI.
- Learning Coach, a customized version of Gemini powered by LearnLM, will soon assist students in building knowledge through step-by-step study guidance, practice activities like quizzes, and games.
- Extensions from trusted sources like OpenStax and Data Commons will be integrated into Gemini to aid students in learning from reliable information.
Overall, Gemini is a valuable tool that empowers teen students to navigate the AI-driven future with confidence and responsibility. It provides a safe and supportive environment for learning, while also fostering critical thinking and information literacy skills. With Google’s commitment to responsible AI usage, educators can rest assured that their students are well-equipped for the challenges of tomorrow.
