OpenAI brings ChatGPT for teens with stricter safety controls and study tools: All details
Follow UsThe teen version restricts content involving self-harm, suicide, violence, eating disorders and sexually explicit material.
Parents can set Quiet Hours and receive limited safety alerts for high-risk situations involving their teenagers.
Study Mode, quizzes and homework guidance are designed to help students learn concepts instead of simply generating answers.
OpenAI has officially introduced a dedicated version of ChatGPT for users who are aged between 13 and 17. The new platform adds stronger safety restrictions and learning-focused features amid the growing mishappenings. Called ChatGPT for Teens, the experience is automatically enabled when OpenAI’s systems estimate that a user is under 18, or when a user identifies themselves as being between 13 and 17.
SurveyThe company aims to provide teenagers with a safer way to use AI for schoolwork, everyday questions and creative tasks without treating them like younger children.
More restrictions on sensitive content
ChatGPT for Teens comes with stronger safeguards in areas including self-harm, suicide, violence, eating disorders, dangerous activities, and sexually explicit or graphic content. It is also designed to avoid encouraging emotional dependence. It will not tell teenagers that it has personal feelings for them or suggest that it is conscious or has its own emotions. Romantic and sexual conversations are also restricted.
Some features, such as voice mode, are also disabled for users. OpenAI has also added more frequent break reminders to encourage teenagers to step away from chat for longer durations.
Parental controls
With the feature, Parents can now optionally link their accounts with their teenager’s ChatGPT account and manage selected settings. These include Quiet Hours that can prevent access during specified periods. The parents can also get safety notifications in a limited number of high-risk situations, including concerns around self-harm or suicide. OpenAI says such alerts are reviewed by human moderators, while specific details from conversations are removed to protect the teenager’s privacy.
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More learning-focused tools
The company has positioned it to be a learning tool rather than simply an answer generator. Its Study Mode uses guiding questions and step-by-step assistance to help students work through problems instead of immediately providing answers.
The experience also includes homework reminders, quizzes and learning visualisations. Study Hours can be configured so that Study Mode is enabled by default during selected periods.
The announcement comes at a time when OpenAI is facing many lawsuits related to alleged harm involving ChatGPT, including a case filed by the parents of 16-year-old Adam Raine, who died by suicide.
Alongside the teen experience, OpenAI has introduced a “Parents’ Guide to Learning with ChatGPT” in India and held an event in Mumbai focused on youth safety and AI. The company said the guide will help parents understand the new features, configure controls and encourage healthier AI habits at home.
