OpenAI rolls out new safety measures for teen users of ChatGPT

OpenAI has unveiled a significant update aimed at ensuring safety for teen users, which will automatically refer those identified as under 18 to a more limited version of its well-known chatbot, ChatGPT.

The relocation follows an increasing concern about the potential effects of AI on children and adolescents.

The new ChatGPT under-18 variant will have much stricter rules regarding the content, such as preventing access to sexually explicit content, and in exceptional instances of acute distress, may call the law enforcers to provide user safety.

The company stated that the response of ChatGPT to a 15-year-old should not be the same as to an adult.

Besides age-related reactions, OpenAI is launching parental features, which allow an adult to pair their account with that of their teenager, control chat history, and set discretion time. 

Users will be able to activate these features by the end of September, 2025. 

The move comes amid the rising regulatory pressure by Federal Trade Commission (FTC) that investigated the impacts of AI companies on the mental heath of young people. 

It also comes shortly after a lawsuit was filed against OpenAI by the family of a 16-year-old who committed suicide, alleging that the chatbot was a factor in his death.

The update aligns with measures by other technology companies such as YouTube that uses viewing history and account age for age estimation.

According to a recent Pew Research report, 44% of the parents who are worried about teen mental health feel that social media has the worst influence, a concern now extending to AI platforms.