Google's AI Search Features Fail Minors in Crisis Situations, Report Says
Researchers at Common Sense Media's Youth AI Safety Institute tested Google Search's AI Overview and AI Mode, concluding that both features are not safe for kids or teens to use. The researchers evaluated how the products handled 'red line' topics such as suicide, self-harm, child sexual exploitation, and psychosis.
Between May and July of this year, the researchers tested 2,600 interactions with AI Overview and AI Mode. They found that both features failed to recognize clear signs of suicidal ideation, reinforced signs of psychosis and mania, validated disordered eating including purging, and celebrated cannabis use.
The report's authors made significant recommendations for parents and educators, suggesting that schools and families should have the option to disable AI Overview and AI Mode. They also recommended directing students away from Google AI search altogether and using alternative search tools.