Definition

Product-safety discipline evaluating how AI systems behave for minors — crisis detection, harmful-content refusal, homework integrity, and parental/school controls — distinct from adult chatbot age-gating.

Key Points

  • common-sense-media Youth AI Safety Institute rates products on principles + “Red Lines”
  • Jul 2026: google Search ai-overviews / AI Mode rated Unacceptable Risk — default-on, no parent disable
  • Contrast: standalone gemini chatbot can be disabled via parental controls; Search AI cannot
  • Contested: vendors argue NGO tests are contrived; institutes argue default ubiquity raises bar
  • China Jul 2026: anthropomorphic-ai-regulation bans virtual intimate AI relationships for all minors; guardian consent under-14 (china-ai-companions-crackdown)

Sources