OpenAI has launched a dedicated version of ChatGPT specifically designed for teenagers, featuring stronger safety safeguards, learning-focused features, and additional parental controls. According to reports from Reuters, the new ChatGPT for Teens mode will automatically engage when a user is estimated to be under 18, or self-identifies their age as between 13 and 17. The San Francisco-based company stated that ChatGPT for Teens is designed to help young users learn, think critically and develop skills while reducing exposure to content that could be harmful or inappropriate for their age. The launch comes years after teens started using ChatGPT without age-appropriate safety measures, leading to numerous lawsuits over AI chatbots' lack of safety features and resulting in teens' suicides and other mental health concerns. The move aligns OpenAI with tech giants such as Meta, which have bolstered protections for teens on their platforms amid mounting legal threats and evidence of harm to their mental health.
Stronger protections are enabled by default for teen users, including safeguards in areas such as self-harm, violence, eating disorders, dangerous activities, and explicit sexual or graphic content. According to Reuters, parents with linked teen accounts can use controls such as Quiet Hours and manage selected settings. They can also receive safety notifications in limited high-risk situations, with OpenAI adding notifications related to eating disorders. The company is also introducing break reminders and other product cues intended to encourage healthy use and reinforce that ChatGPT is an AI system. OpenAI said it will use a mix of self-reported age, behavioral and account signals as well as verification to estimate a user's age, with the company defaulting to safer settings when it is unsure of the age. These age-appropriate protections are based on OpenAI's Under-18 Principles in Model Spec, which the company claims to be informed by "developmental science and guidance from experts."
OpenAI is introducing new safety features specifically designed to minimize ChatGPT's human-like appearance for teen users. According to recent reports, those with new teen accounts will be able to switch off the human voice response to minimize the technology's ability to appear like a person. The company is also introducing regular reminders for young people to take breaks from using the tool, reminding them that ChatGPT is AI and saying "it can wait." OpenAI insisted this was not in response to a particular issue with children believing ChatGPT to be alive, but acknowledged growing concerns about people becoming convinced that AI tools they interact with are sentient. The firm stated that teenagers' use of AI "should come with protections that reflect their developmental stage, reinforce real-world relationships, and support healthy use over time."
The new experience includes Study Mode, which uses guiding questions and step-by-step assistance rather than simply providing answers. As reported by Reuters, OpenAI has also introduced homework reminders that can identify when a student appears to be trying to bypass an assignment and redirect them towards Study Mode. The company emphasized treating teens like teens while ensuring they're not exposed to material they shouldn't be exposed to, as stated by Ann O'Leary, vice president of global policy at OpenAI. The teen experience will also include quizzes and learning visualizations, with controls that allow parents or guardians to decide when Study Mode is enabled by default. The Pew Research Center found earlier this year that searching for information and getting homework help were the most common ways U.S. teenagers used AI, followed by fun and entertainment. OpenAI says of the young people who use ChatGPT, nine out of 10 use it to help them with learning.
OpenAI is partnering with CodeAI to give students and educators access to tools and resources aimed at helping them understand and use artificial intelligence. As reported by Reuters, the partnership will focus on teaching students how AI works, how to question its outputs, identify mistakes and use the technology creatively, while giving teachers a meaningful role in introducing AI into education. CodeAI CEO Karim Meghji stated that every student should know how AI actually works and be able to question the technology, catch its mistakes, and know when to stop trusting it. In the classroom, OpenAI already offers ChatGPT for Teachers to help provide schools with institution-managed access to AI and support. OpenAI stated it believes AI should expand educational opportunity, which is why it designed ChatGPT for Teens to support moments outside the classroom when help is not always available.
The launch raises questions about why these protections weren't implemented from the beginning, as ChatGPT first arrived in late 2022 and scaled to 900 million weekly users before meaningful safeguards designed specifically for teenage users were added. According to recent reports, it remains unclear how difficult it will be for teens to work around these new safety measures, as they are incredibly adept at working around parental controls and digital restrictions. Until ChatGPT's teen mode can be put to more strenuous tests, it's unclear how difficult it will be to work around these safety measures in reality. The company is making more of its teen-safety research public through new under-18 evaluations included in its system cards, covering areas including self-harm, eating disorders, violence, age-restricted goods and services, and sexual content. These evaluations are intended to provide greater transparency on how its models perform against standards designed specifically for teen safety.
