YouTube Kids update adds AI age detection to help deliver safer, age-appropriate content and protections for teens while preserving online privacy.

YouTube announced new technology to improve safety and age-appropriate experiences for younger audiences. The company said people come to YouTube to learn and be entertained, including the youngest viewers. Over 10 years ago, YouTube launched YouTube Kids, and four years ago it introduced supervised accounts for pre-teens and teens.

In February, YouTube revealed plans to use technology that distinguishes between younger viewers and adults. Over the next few weeks, the platform will roll out machine learning to a small set of users in the United States to estimate their age. The company will monitor the rollout before expanding it. This system will allow YouTube to infer a user’s age and apply age-appropriate product experiences and protections, regardless of the birthday listed in the account.

The AI-based approach has been used in other markets and has shown positive results. YouTube reported it will now bring the system to the US, with further expansion planned. The company will partner with creators to ensure the ecosystem benefits from the update.

YouTube said the AI will interpret various signals to determine whether a user is over or under 18. These include:

• Types of videos searched for
• Categories of videos watched
• Longevity of the account

When a teen is identified, YouTube will automatically apply protections, such as disabling personalized advertising, enabling digital wellbeing tools, and adding safeguards to recommendations, including limiting repetitive views of certain content.

If the system incorrectly estimates a user’s age as under 18, they will be able to verify they are over 18 using a credit card or government ID. Only users inferred or verified as over 18 will be able to view age-restricted content.

YouTube said it remains committed to supporting kids, teens, and families. The company will continue investing in tools that provide safe and enriching online experiences while protecting teen privacy.

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