Google Introduces New Machine Learning Model To Estimate User Age

Google announced new digital protection tools on Wednesday, including a new AI tool deployed in the United States to estimate ages and detect if a user is under 18 years old.

The tech giant explained that the new machine learning technology will be tested to prevent underage users from accessing inappropriate content and to address one of the biggest challenges of the company which is guessing netizens’ ages.

“This year we’ll begin testing a machine learning-based age estimation model in the U.S.,” wrote Jen Fitzpatrick, Senior Vice President at Google, in a document shared. “This model helps us estimate whether a user is over or under 18 so that we can apply protections to help provide more age-appropriate experiences. We’ll bring this technology to more countries over time.”

The new AI model could help provide more personalized experiences, as part of the company’s efforts to build a safe environment for users of all ages. Fitzpatrick also highlighted previous initiatives such as the restriction of sensitive ad content, a SafeSearch Filter for children, and its “teen wellbeing” protection on YouTube.

According to The Verge, Neal Mohan, YouTube CEO, revealed on Tuesday that the new AI tool will use existing data about users—such as videos watched, how long they’ve had an account, and sites visited—and notify about settings changes when it detects the user could be under 18. If the user is an adult, they must verify their age with official documentation such as a government ID.

Besides the AI model, Google also announced a new update for the Google Family Link feature—a parental control service—including tools to help kids focus, and families to set School Time, and include contacts approved by parents.

A few days ago, Google also made changes to its AI safety policies in a different area. The tech giant updated its AI ethics guidelines, allowing the use of AI for developing weapons or surveillance tools.