OpenAI has recently launched a new version of its ChatGPT AI program for users aged 13-years to 17-years with enhanced safety measures, parental controls and learning tools as the company faces rising scrutiny over the risks its chatbot poses to younger people.
According to OpenAI, the ChatGPT for Teens service will automatically activate when the AI chatbot detects underage user activity or when a user self-identifies as aged 13-years to 17-years. The safeguards aim to “reduce exposure to content that may be harmful or developmentally inappropriate” and help teens “learn, think critically, deepen understanding, and use AI with confidence”.
The service includes additional protections covering self-harm, violence, eating disorders, dangerous activities and explicit sexual or graphic content. Parents with linked teen accounts will be able to set quiet hours, manage settings and receive notifications in limited high-risk situations, including suspected eating disorders. Measures will also include teen-specific onboarding, break reminders and cues explicitly identifying the service as AI.
On chatbot interactions, OpenAI said ChatGPT for Teens will not use romantic language, encourage emotional dependence or imply it has feelings or consciousness “to reinforce healthy, real-world relationships”.
Beyond safety, the company also introduced Study Mode to provide step-by-step guidance for schoolwork, while enabling responsible homework reminders for users who appear to be trying to bypass an assignment and redirect them towards collaborative problem solving. Features including quizzes, learning visualisations and study hours were also added.
Criticism
The AI player first introduced parental controls and age prediction systems to its chatbot in 2025, after being hit with a lawsuit in California over the suicide of a teenager who was allegedly coached by the company’s platform on methods of self-harm.
Indeed, criticism of ChatGPT’s impact on young people, including concerns around inappropriate content, violence, loneliness and its effect on learning, have been mounting. OpenAI faces multiple lawsuits from families across the U.S. alleging ChatGPT contributed to or encouraged teenagers’ suicides or violent crimes.
Source: Mobile World Live
Image Credit: OpenAI
Source: Tahawul Tech