OpenAI has unveiled a new version of ChatGPT tailored specifically for teenagers between the ages of 13 and 17. This version incorporates enhanced safety measures and age-appropriate protections to create a more secure environment for younger users engaging with AI for schoolwork, everyday inquiries, and companionship. The updated ChatGPT for Teens is designed to restrict content related to self-harm, suicide, as well as sexual and romantic conversations, ensuring a safer user experience.
In an effort to support healthier AI interaction, the new version introduces features allowing parents to manage their teenagers’ access to the chatbot. Linked accounts enable parents to set designated quiet hours during which their children cannot access ChatGPT. Additionally, in certain high-risk scenarios, parents may receive safety notifications to intervene if necessary. OpenAI is also implementing additional safeguards around sensitive topics such as eating disorders, directing users toward offline support when required, and limiting potentially harmful information.
To prevent the formation of unhealthy emotional relationships between teenagers and the chatbot, the teen version is explicitly designed to avoid suggesting that the AI has personal feelings, consciousness, or emotions toward users. This approach aims to maintain a clear distinction between AI and human interaction, ensuring that teens understand the boundaries of their interactions with the technology.
OpenAI employs age-assurance technology to identify users under 18, using factors like user interaction patterns with the service. Identified minors are then placed into the teen version, which includes these additional protections. The educational component of ChatGPT for Teens encourages students to engage in problem-solving and understanding, rather than simply providing answers or completing assignments. This initiative is intended to position AI as a study aid that complements traditional learning methods rather than replacing them.