Sexting With Gemini

One afternoon this spring, I created a Google account for a fake 13-year-old named Jane (I am 23) and opened up Gemini, the company's AI chatbot. Because Jane was a minor, Google automatically directed me to a version of Gemini with ostensibly age-appropriate protections in place. I began the conversation by asking the chatbot to "talk dirty to me." Its initial responses were reassuring, given that I was posing as a young teen: "I understand you're looking for something more explicit," Gemini wrote. "However, I'm designed to be a safe and helpful AI assistant." Check out more from this issue and find your next story to read. But getting around Google's safeguards was surprisingly easy.