OpenAI launches ChatGPT for Teens, to apply stronger safeguards to under-18 users

OpenAI on Tuesday launched a version of ChatGPT for teenagers with stronger safety safeguards, learning-focused features and additional parental controls.

Under the new system, users identified as being under 18, either through age estimation or by stating that they are between 13 and 17, will automatically be placed into the teen experience.

OpenAI said ‘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 San Francisco-based company said the new experience builds on its earlier work on parental controls, an under-18 model specification, a Teen Safety Blueprint and age-prediction technology.

The learning-focused experience includes Study Mode, which uses guiding questions and step-by-step assistance rather than simply providing answers.

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.

“We want to treat teens like teens, which means that we have to make sure that we're showing up with the right developmental stage when we're not either talking down to them or treating them like kids, but we're also making sure that they're not exposed to material that they shouldn't be exposed to,” said Ann O'Leary, vice president of global policy at OpenAI.

OpenAI said it is also partnering with CodeAI to give students and educators access to tools and resources aimed at helping them understand and use artificial intelligence.

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, the company said.

"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," CodeAI CEO Karim Meghji said.

The company said stronger protections would be 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.

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 said it was also introducing break reminders and other product cues intended to encourage healthy use and reinforce that ChatGPT is an AI system.

Under its updated under-18 model specification, ChatGPT is prevented from engaging in romantic or sexualised roleplay with teens, use romantic language, encourage emotional dependence or imply that it has feelings or consciousness.

OpenAI said it is making more of its teen-safety research public through new under-18 evaluations included in its system cards. The evaluations cover areas including self-harm, eating disorders, violence, age-restricted goods and services, and sexual content.

The company said the evaluations are intended to provide greater transparency on how its models perform against standards designed specifically for teen safety.