OpenAI has launched new safety protocols for teens.
ChatGPT for Teens
According to a press release, OpenAI has announced the launch of ChatGPT for Teens, designed to help individuals suspected of being under 18, or who have indicated they are between 13 and 17, leverage AI to learn, create, and explore. The tech company believes it is essential to place guardrails that are appropriate for teens’ “developmental stage, reinforce real-world relationships, and support healthy use over time.”
The update follows safety concerns around the technology and younger generations. In April 2025, 16-year-old Adam Raine died by suicide after speaking with ChatGPT in the weeks leading up to his death, per ABC News. The AI allegedly encouraged him to take his own life.
ChatGPT for Teens’ guardrails include decreasing exposure to “harmful” or “developmentally inappropriate” subject matter through its Under-18 Principles in its Model Spec, which has age-appropriate model protections and interventions for areas such as self-harm, violence, eating disorders, dangerous activities, and explicit sexual or graphic content, according to the press release.
ChatGPT for Teens will also encourage real-world relationships by providing cues for users to take breaks from the product. Additionally, romantic language and emotional dependence will not be reinforced, and ChatGPT won’t be presented to the user as having feelings or consciousness. The safeguards also remind users not to upload sensitive images.
“These protections are underpinned by ongoing safety research informed by developmental science, expert input, and testing our models’ safeguards in areas where teens may face distinct or heightened risks,” OpenAI said in the press release. “This work helps us refine our policies for under-18 users, strengthen product protections, and improve how we measure progress over time.”
Learning Features
ChatGPT for Teens also includes features designed to enhance its users’ learning experiences, such as guiding questions and step-by-step support (Study Mode), homework notifications, quizzes on learning material, and study hours, which allow parents or teens to select the best times to study.
“ChatGPT for Teens is designed to support learning outside of the classroom,” the release notes.
OpenAI said it will continue to develop more features to improve the experience and safety of teens.
