TZUTC: -0500   
   MSGID: 1117.consprcy@1:2320/105 2c89cedb   
   PID: Synchronet 3.20a-Linux master/acc19483f Apr 26 202 GCC 12.2.0   
   TID: SBBSecho 3.20-Linux master/acc19483f Apr 26 2024 23:04 GCC 12.2.0   
   BBSID: CAPCITY2   
   CHRS: ASCII 1   
   5 reasons why Gemini AI is bad news for kids   
      
   Date:   
   Wed, 14 May 2025 07:49:13 +0000   
      
   Description:   
   AI doesn't just expose children to misinformation and bias, it can stop them   
   from learning creative and critical thinking skills.   
      
   FULL STORY   
   ======================================================================   
   As a family tech expert, Ive seen social media and tech companies do some   
   pretty incredible things. But Googles plan to roll out Gemini, its AI chatbot   
   , to users under 13, is wild. They gave notice to parents in an email, but it   
   felt much more like a warning than a warm invitation.    
      
   So, why are they doing this? No ones really sure, although Google is simply   
   just joining Instagram, Snapchat, and a whole host of other platforms in the   
   race to bring AI to nearly every facet of our lives.    
      
   Children, though, are much more vulnerable than adults especially when it   
   comes to online interactions. Here are my top 5 concerns about Googles recent   
   and reckless decision in opening up Gemini to kids 13 and under.   
      
   1. Its teaching kids to outsource thinking and creativity from a very early   
   age   
      
   Young kids need to be practicing writing, drawing, and critically thinking   
   with their own minds not using scraped words and images dredged up from the   
   depths of the internet.    
      
   Chat GPT is already proving to be a breeding ground for cheating and    
   shortcuts in schools. Giving younger kids instant access to Gemini will only   
   accelerate this introduction to cutting corners when it comes to learning and   
   being creative.   
      
   2. Misinformation is rife on the platform    
      
   When an AI platform like Gemini provides completely wrong information, its   
   called a hallucination. Thats a quaint way of saying making things up that    
   are total nonsense.    
      
   Google even says in its FAQs about Gemini in the Family Link app that   
   [Hallucinations are] a strange term, but it basically just means that Gemini   
   sometimes gets things wrong or says things that arent true. [They] can sound   
   real, and Gemini might even say them confidently.    
      
   For adults, these types of errors may be easy to recognize and ignore, like   
   saying that the capital of France is Cairo. But for kids, they may not know   
   when to double-check a simple answer  let alone something complicated or   
   nuanced. This sort of defeats the purpose of having Gemini help with homework   
   for children.   
      
   3. Inappropriate content can present dangers to kids    
      
   Gemini can also act as a chatbot friend for kids, which presents multiple   
   dangers. Other similar chatbots have been blamed for exposure to sexual   
   content and even one childs suicide.    
      
   Of course, Google has stated that the Gemini for kids will have safeguards,   
   but theres never a guarantee that inappropriate things wont slip through the   
   cracks  especially when these AI platforms regularly hallucinate.    
      
   Fortunately, apps like Bark can monitor your childs saved photos, videos, and   
   even text messages for inappropriate content they may save or share from   
   Gemini.   
      
   4. Personal info thats shared can be hacked    
      
   Sharing personal information  from sensitive emotional states to home   
   addresses to personal photos  with an AI platform is vulnerable because   
   everything can be hacked. If someone were to gain access to your childs    
   Gemini chats, it could be stressful and even dangerous. Hate speech and bias   
   can be conveyed in Gemini responses    
      
   The way AI platforms like Gemini work is by scraping the totality of the   
   internet for similar information  information that was written by other   
   humans.    
      
   That means that human biases and viewpoints can be presented by Gemini as   
   truth, which we now know isnt even always true.    
      
   Because AI platforms provide answers based on information that humans    
   created, it can mirror prejudices that exist in the data its fed with. This   
   can include harmful positions about marginalized groups.   
      
   Final word    
      
   At the end of the day, technology is just another tool that can make our    
   lives easier, but its just that  a tool, not a necessity.    
      
   Even though calculators are used every day in advanced math, kids still learn   
   how to count, add, subtract, multiply, and divide the old-school way in   
   elementary school.    
      
   The same should go with AI platforms like Gemini when it comes to writing,   
   thinking, and being creative.    
      
    This article was produced as part of TechRadarPro's Expert Insights channel   
   where we feature the best and brightest minds in the technology industry   
   today. The views expressed here are those of the author and are not   
   necessarily those of TechRadarPro or Future plc. If you are interested in   
   contributing find out more here:   
   https://www.techradar.com/news/submit-your-story-to-techradar-pro   
      
   ======================================================================   
   Link to news story:   
   https://www.techradar.com/pro/5-reasons-why-gemini-ai-is-bad-news-for-kids   
      
   $$   
   --- SBBSecho 3.20-Linux   
    * Origin: capitolcityonline.net * Telnet/SSH:2022/HTTP (1:2320/105)   
   SEEN-BY: 105/81 106/201 128/187 129/305 153/7715 154/110 218/700 226/30   
   SEEN-BY: 227/114 229/110 111 114 206 300 307 317 400 426 428 470 664   
   SEEN-BY: 229/700 705 266/512 291/111 320/219 322/757 342/200 396/45   
   SEEN-BY: 460/58 712/848 902/26 2320/0 105 3634/12 5075/35   
   PATH: 2320/105 229/426