Google Extends Bard AI Chatbot Access to Teens Worldwide

Google has announced the global expansion of access to Bard, its conversational AI tool, making it available to teenagers in most countries. The chatbot, designed with safety features, is accessible in English, with plans for additional language support in the future. To comply with Google Account age requirements, teenagers can now leverage Bard for a range of purposes, from seeking inspiration and exploring hobbies to solving everyday problems.

Bard serves as a valuable learning tool, allowing teens to delve into various subjects. In addition to answering queries, it aids in understanding complex concepts. Google is incorporating a math learning experience into Bard, enabling users to type or upload a picture of a math equation, with the chatbot providing step-by-step explanations. Data visualization capabilities have also been added, allowing Bard to generate charts from tables or data provided in a prompt.

Image Credits: Google

As part of its commitment to user safety, Bard has undergone training to recognize inappropriate topics for teens. It includes guardrails to prevent the display of unsafe content, such as illegal substances or age-restricted material, in responses to teens. Google has implemented a double-check response feature for fact-based questions, ensuring content across the web substantiates Bard's responses.

Tulsee Doshi, Google’s product lead for Responsible AI, explained, "We'll automatically run our double-check response feature the first time a teen asks a fact-based question to evaluate whether there’s content across the web to substantiate Bard’s response."

Image Credits: Google

Upon their initial interaction with Bard, teens will undergo an onboarding experience that includes resources and videos with tips on responsible AI use. The onboarding process also provides the option for teens to enable or disable Bard.

This move follows Google's recent extension of generative AI search experience access to teenagers, known as Search Generative Experience (SGE). SGE introduces a conversational mode to Google Search, allowing users to ask questions in a more natural, conversational manner.