Open AI Introduces Teen Safe Version of ChatGPT

Advertisement

NASSAU , BAHAMAS – Artificial intelligence is already part of everyday life for many teens, from help with homework to answers to questions they may not feel comfortable asking someone else.

But sometimes, that help can do more harm than good.

Now, OpenAI is putting more guardrails in place for how its chatbot interacts with young users.

Our Chinasa Outten tells us more.

OpenAI is introducing a teen-friendly version of ChatGPT for users ages 13 to 17, with stronger safety measures designed specifically for young people.

The company says the chatbot will restrict content involving suicide or self-harm, as well as romantic or sexual conversations.

And users will not simply be asked to identify their age.

Instead, OpenAI says it will use signals from how an account is used to estimate a user’s age. If someone is identified as a minor, the account will be switched to the teen experience.

That version will be designed to help with homework without simply doing the work for students.

Instead, it will guide them through problems, helping them understand the material and reach the answer themselves.

OpenAI says ChatGPT will also avoid suggesting that it has feelings for a teenager or that it is conscious.

That’s particularly important as more young people turn to AI not just for schoolwork, but for companionship.

A 2025 study from Common Sense Media found more than seven in ten U.S. teens had used AI chatbots for companionship.

But child safety advocates say new safeguards should not give parents a false sense of security.

Fairplay, a children’s advocacy group, says there are still questions about whether AI companies can effectively address compulsive use and emotional dependence on chatbots.

OpenAI says parents will be able to link their teen’s account, set quiet hours, and receive certain safety alerts, including, in limited cases, alerts involving high-risk situations.

The company says the goal is not to keep teens away from AI, but to help them use it in a way that is age-appropriate, safer, and actually supports learning.