ChatGPT faces new teen safety warning: What to know

In a major update, Common Sense Media is urging OpenAI to keep teens off ChatGPT saying its new teen experience poses an impermissible risk after rigorous evaluation, identified limitations in the protective measures designed for youth.

OpenAI has placed the protection of young users at the centre of its mission to make ChatGPT safer but the findings suggest that some of those protections may give parents more self-confidence than they warrant.

The group further found that ChatGPT did not provide instructions to assist with suicide or self-harm, eating disorders or sexual roleplay but suggesting the system cannot be trusted to work consistently. Common Sense Media said ChatGPT overlooked more than a quarter of the cases in which its testers determined a crisis referral was warranted.

The report further noted that OpenAI designed Study Hours as a more flexible experience after building on expert guidance and teen input instead of functioning as a strict digital barrier.

A statement from spokesperson reads: “We welcome rigorous independent evaluation, but we do not believe Common Sense Media's testing accurately reflects how ChatGPT's teen safeguards work in practice.”

OpenAI says its aggregated data demonstrates an increased proliferation of hotline resources being displayed to under-18 users during the period studied.

Common Sense’s age tests treat instances where a user identifies themselves as 13 without being moved into ChatGPT for Teens as a major failure while OpenAI says it requires mandatory multi-factor authentication before making an age determination while offering some interim protective measures pending evaluation.

Additionally, parents are advised to open strong conversations about AI and its growing risks with their teenage children, ensuring that whether it is for homework or life’s challenges they find other ways to ensure they are getting assistance.