What you need to know
- Google is opening Bard access to teenage accounts aged 13 and older.
- Teens can ask Bard for inspiration covering a range of topics while also getting a bit of help with math equations or science problems.
- Google expanded access for Search Labs to teens in September, giving them a more natural AI experience with Search alongside follow-up questions on topics.
Google is expanding the work it's doing for teenagers through its AI technology by incorporating Bard.
According to a Keyword blog post, Google states teens can soon begin using Bard for inspiration and help on a range of topics. The example given shows how a teen can use the AI chatbot for ideas on how to write a class president speech despite not having experience publically.
Another example revolves around looking for a potential college based on the interests of the person who might attend. Inspiration through Bard extends to learning new hobbies and simple mundane tasks, as well.
Teenagers will have the opportunity to lean on Google's Bard for help with difficult subjects such as lengthy mathematical equations. Google states users can type or upload a photo of the math problem into Bard, and it will get to work based on that.
The AI will offer a set of step-by-step instructions to help users get through any given set of problems, similar to the new experience on Google Search. Moreover, Bard can generate a chart based on a prompt put forth by the user. The software will consume information from tables or written data to generate the appropriate chart as requested.
Google states both features should begin arriving today in English (for now). Most countries should have access to these new features within Bard for teens. However, it will only work for accounts with a child aged 13 or older.
The other side of this involves Google's continuous focus on being "responsible" with its AI software. The company states that while AI has the potential to hallucinate details, Bard will automatically fact-check a response given to a teenager on the first go. After that, Bard will suggest that they run any response through the double-check feature.
Additionally, guardrails are in place so teenagers asking questions never see anything that isn't age-appropriate or that could be harmful.
As previously stated, Bard for Teens is an expansion of the work Google has done prior to this launch. At the end of September, the company rolled out AI-search-based features to adolescents through its Search Generated Experience (SGE). This experiment gave teens access to a more natural experience with Search alongside the ability to ask follow-up questions on a topic.
Google's AI Literacy Guide is available for parents and their children to review as it contains all the information they should know about this new technology and its uses.
