ChatGPT for Teens launched amid suicide lawsuits

OpenAI introduced ChatGPT for Teens on Tuesday, adding a version of its chatbot designed for users aged 13 to 17 as the company faces legal and regulatory pressure over risks to minors.

The teen settings apply to users who register as aged 13 to 17 or who OpenAI detects as underage through usage patterns or account age. The company said the version uses stronger safeguards and monitoring.

Many restrictions already existed for minors' ChatGPT accounts, including limits on content involving self-harm, violence, eating disorders and graphic sexuality. The new version also adds more frequent break reminders, blackout “quiet hours” and Study Mode, which OpenAI says uses guiding questions rather than direct answers to help teenagers understand material.

Other restrictions prevent the chatbot from suggesting it has personal feelings for the user or its own consciousness. Some features, including voice mode, are disabled.

Parents can choose to link their accounts with their teenagers' accounts. OpenAI said parents may be alerted if chats involve certain high-risk situations, including self-harm or suicide. Those alerts are reviewed by human moderators, with specific details from chat logs removed to protect privacy.

OpenAI faces several wrongful death lawsuits, including one brought by the parents of 16-year-old Adam Raine, who died by suicide. His parents allege he used methods advised by ChatGPT.

The US Federal Trade Commission has launched an inquiry into AI chatbots that act as digital companions, focusing on potential risks to children and teenagers. Lawmakers and state regulators are also moving to regulate chatbot safeguards, while some AI companies have restricted use of their models by minors.