Rahul Somvanshi
OpenAI has launched a version of ChatGPT built for teenagers, the company said on Tuesday. The chatbot is designed for users aged 13 to 17 and adds stronger guardrails than the standard product.
The move follows months of concern from parents, teachers and child-development experts about how young people use AI chatbots. OpenAI said the teen version restricts content on suicide, self-harm, and romantic or sexual conversations. The company already offers a separate product for teachers and has been expanding its presence in schools.
Ann O’Leary, OpenAI’s vice president of global policy, said the goal is to meet teenagers at the right stage of development. “We want to treat teens like teens, which means that we have to make sure that we’re showing up with the right developmental stage, where we’re not either talking down to them or treating them like kids, but we’re also making sure that they’re not exposed to material that they shouldn’t be exposed to,” she said.
The system does not ask users to prove their age. Instead, it estimates whether someone is under 18 from signals such as the kinds of questions they ask, and places anyone identified as a minor into the teen version automatically. The approach resembles the way Meta handles teen accounts on Instagram, where younger users get stricter limits by default.
Parental controls are available but must be switched on by both the teenager and a parent or guardian. When linked, a parent can set quiet hours when ChatGPT is unavailable and receive a notification in a limited set of high-risk situations, such as when a user may be at risk of harming themselves.
For schoolwork, the chatbot is built to guide students toward answers rather than hand them solutions. OpenAI described “Responsible Homework Reminders” that flag when a user is taking shortcuts, a “Study Mode” for step-by-step learning, interactive visuals for maths and science, and a “Quizzes” feature. The design reflects a wider debate about cheating and over-reliance on AI tools among students.
The launch arrives as regulators and researchers weigh the risks of AI companions for minors. Researchers have warned that chatbots can give harmful answers on sensitive topics, and adults too have reported unhealthy attachments to the software. OpenAI said the teen version is meant to stay safe even when parental controls are left off.
The release places OpenAI alongside other technology companies tightening rules for younger users. The company said the product began rolling out on August 18.
