GoKawiilOpenAI announced Tuesday that it’s launching a version of ChatGPT intended for teenagers, amid concerns about how younger people interact with generative AI tools.
Users between the ages of 13 and 17 will automatically use the teen-specific version, which will feature parental controls, stronger safeguards and notifications prompting them to take breaks. Many AI companies, including Google, allow people aged 13 or older to use their chatbots, while Anthropic requires users to be 18 or older.
OpenAI says it created ChatGPT for Teens with four guidelines in mind: “put teen safety first, encourage real-world support, treat teens like teens and be transparent about how our systems should behave.”
Makers of AI chatbots have faced widespread questions and criticism over a lack of guardrails in their products, which many people use every day.
The protections now being folded into chatbots are similar to those built into Instagram teen accounts.
The teen experience in ChatGPT
OpenAI says its model for teens is intended to “expand educational opportunity” and to provide support outside the classroom.
ChatGPT for Teens includes a new Study Mode that provides step-by-step guidance on concepts and homework materials, while also detecting when students attempt to use the model as a shortcut for cheating. With the Study Hours feature, teenage students and parents can set parameters to have Study Mode turn on by default.
ChatGPT for Teens will also feature quizzes and visualizations intended to support learning.
“Not every student has someone at home who can help when they get stuck or have questions with their homework. With the right guardrails, AI can help fill that gap,” Racquel Gibson, a Miami high-school math teacher, said in OpenAI’s blog post about ChatGPT for Teens.
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