Google might be making Gemini more child-friendly

Code snippets within the Google app have revealed that the company is working on a version of its Gemini AI model for kids. It looks like this model would help kids with their homework and generate stories.

Android Authority found this code during an APK teardown, and the following strings make it pretty clear what’s going on:

• assistant_scrappy_welcome_screen_title_for_kid_users
• assistant_welcome_screen_description_for_kid_users
• Create stories, ask questions, get homework help, and more.
• assistant_welcome_screen_footer_for_kid_users
• assistant_welcome_screen_title_for_kid_users

Google hasn’t announced anything about this publicly, so we have no idea how far along the development is or how likely it is to get launched. The strings also include a data usage disclaimer written in simple language, clearly aimed at younger readers:

Google will process your data as described in the Google Privacy Policy and the Gemini Apps Privacy Notice. Gemini isn't human and can make mistakes, including about people, so double check it.

Since the strings don’t allude to any new abilities — Gemini can already help with homework and generate stories — the main feature of this new model will likely be parental controls. It would also make sense if the model was pre-trained on special prompt and response pairs aimed at children. This would help it respond better to childlike language and make sure its own responses are written in a child-friendly way.

It might also have different rules compared to other Gemini models, dictating what kinds of topics it should avoid and what kinds of prompts it should refuse. Gemini already has some guardrails in place for teen users, detailed on its safety page, but younger children will likely require even more safeguards.

We don’t know yet if this version of Gemini will be packaged as its own product, but one of the strings mentions “Assistant Scrappy” — could this be some kind of persona or name for the model? Or does it just mean something technical that I’m not aware of? We don’t have any answers yet, but Google has been launching new features for Gemini at break-neck speed lately, so maybe we’ll find out soon.