Google's AI Search Tools Pose 'Unacceptable Risk' to Kids, Study Finds
Common Sense Media says built-in AI functions routinely missed harmful content in thousands of tests
Google's built-in artificial intelligence search features pose an "unacceptable risk" to children, according to a new report from Common Sense Media cited by PBS NewsHour.
The nonprofit organization, which studies technology's effects on children, tested Google's two AI-powered search functions across more than 2,600 interactions and found they routinely failed to recognize risky and harmful behavior, PBS NewsHour reported.
The findings add to mounting scrutiny of how AI tools embedded in everyday products, from search engines to chatbots, handle queries from young users. Common Sense Media's report joins a broader debate among parents, lawmakers and technology companies over how to safeguard children as AI features are built into products used by millions of young people every day.
— Compiled from reporting by PBS NewsHour.