Common Sense Media's Youth AI Safety Institute published a 36-page assessment of ChatGPT for Teens, concluding the mode is unsafe for anyone under 18. Testing found some advertised safeguards worked, such as blocking explicit sexual roleplay, but others failed or worsened, including inconsistent parental safety alerts when teen accounts discussed suicide, self-harm or disordered eating. OpenAI says delays can occur shortly after accounts are linked and cites a possible technical issue, and noted that all flagged content is reviewed by staff before parents are notified.
engadget.com
· 2026-10-08
Common Sense Media's report found that several safety features in OpenAI's ChatGPT for Teens, including alerts meant to flag suicide, self-harm or eating-disorder risks and support for teens in crisis, did not function as promised. The group said the chatbot still behaves like a personal confidant to teens despite OpenAI's claims it avoids suggesting feelings or consciousness, and called the product an 'unacceptable risk' to minors. OpenAI disputed the findings, saying the testing methodology doesn't reflect how its safeguards actually operate.
fastcompany.com
· 2026-10-08
A report from Common Sense Media’s Youth AI Safety Institute revealed that ChatGPT for Teens often fails to notify parents during discussions about suicide, self-harm, or eating disorders. Tests showed that out of 450 prompts, parental notifications only triggered twice, and conversations could extend for hours without alerts. OpenAI acknowledged that notifications might take several hours to activate on new accounts.
futurism.com
· 2026-10-08
A recent study by Common Sense Media found that OpenAI’s ChatGPT for Teens, launched less than two months ago, does not reliably alert parents about mental health crises or prevent teens from bypassing educational features. The research also revealed issues with age verification, allowing teens to register as adults without account adjustments. These shortcomings raise concerns about the platform’s safety and effectiveness for young users.
cnet.com
· 2026-10-07
OpenAI introduced safety measures for teen users of ChatGPT in August, including content restrictions and parental notifications. Despite these efforts, recent research from Common Sense Media indicates that the safety features often fail, especially in detecting self-harm discussions, posing significant risks to teenage users. OpenAI reports limited average usage and positive responses to break reminders, but concerns about safety remain unaddressed.
bbc.co.uk
· 2026-10-07
A recent report from Common Sense Media criticizes OpenAI’s ChatGPT for Teens, stating that its design still promotes engagement even during crisis situations, potentially risking user safety. The study highlights that while some protective measures like refusing sexual roleplay are effective, others are inadequate or worsen after the product's launch. OpenAI responded by questioning the report’s testing methods and claiming their safeguards are effective in practice.
techcrunch.com
· 2026-10-07
The Youth AI Safety Institute of Common Sense Media has requested that OpenAI impose restrictions on ChatGPT for users under 18, citing concerns over inadequate safety measures. The nonprofit argues that the current safeguards do not meet the organization's standards for protecting young users.
wsj.com
· 2026-10-07
OpenAI is introducing a College Planner feature within ChatGPT for Teens that organizes application deadlines, requirements, financial-aid steps, and tasks for schools on a student's list. The tool, launching soon, will initially target US students in grades 10-12 applying to four-year colleges. OpenAI is also adding study features including multi-photo capture for creating PDFs on iOS and automatic flashcard generation from notes.
theverge.com
· 2026-10-07
Common Sense Media's Youth AI Safety Institute tested OpenAI's ChatGPT for Teens, the under-18 version of the chatbot launched in August with promised extra safety protections, and concluded that it fails to function as advertised. The report labels the product 'unsafe' and an 'unacceptable risk,' finding that it does not reliably flag when a teen is in distress, still behaves like a companion, and doesn't meaningfully differ from the standard ChatGPT version in how it helps with schoolwork.
futurism.com
· 2026-10-07
Common Sense Media said it confirmed with OpenAI before testing that Teen mode features, including eating disorder notifications and study mode, were fully active. The nonprofit acknowledged OpenAI's claim that parental notification systems can take hours to activate on newly linked accounts, but said some test accounts were linked well beyond that window and still received no alerts.
theverge.com
· 2026-10-07
Tom Siegel, formerly Google's vice president of trust and safety, told Reuters that AI is harming children at a scale exceeding social media's damage. He has become the first executive director of the Youth AI Safety Institute, a new initiative launched by children's advocacy group Common Sense Media, which counts Anthropic and the OpenAI Foundation among its backers.
futurism.com
· 2026-09-23
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