Google's AI Deemed Unfit as Primary Information Source for Children

In its latest assessment, Common Sense Media stated that Google Search’s AI Overview and AI Mode repeatedly failed to recognise crisis signals in young users, provided inappropriate advice, and generated inconsistent answers. The features also cannot be deactivated by parents or schools. The assessment was conducted through more than 2,600 searches using accounts configured for users aged 11 and 15 with SafeSearch activated. The results showed that Google’s AI often answered confidently but not always correctly. In some cases, the system also completed school assignments entirely, raising concerns that children may become overly dependent on the technology. Common Sense Media also highlighted that AI answers often changed from one search to the next. On several history questions, the results provided were not always the same. The situation is considered risky because Google Search is one of the main gateways for children and teenagers to seek daily information. The organisation assessed that the problem is not merely about accuracy, but also about safety. The risks of AI for children and teenagers do not stop at misinformation. In February 2026, UNICEF warned about the increasing misuse of AI to create fake or manipulated sexual images of children. UNICEF referred to a joint study with ECPAT and INTERPOL across 11 countries which found that at least 1.2 million children reported being victims of image manipulation into sexual deepfakes in the past year. The organisation believes child protection in the digital space needs to be strengthened, including through prevention, digital literacy, and stricter safeguards on AI technology. Unlike standalone AI chatbots, the AI features in Google Search are part of a search engine used by millions of people daily. Common Sense Media noted that to date, parents and schools do not have the option to disable AI Overview and AI Mode on Google Search. A previous survey by the organisation showed that AI summaries in search engines are among the AI features most frequently used by children aged 9 to 17. Consequently, Common Sense Media recommended that Google provide families and schools with greater control to manage the use of AI features by minors.