OpenAI launches ChatGPT for Teens

OpenAI has launched a new version of ChatGPT specifically for teenagers, named ChatGPT for Teens. This customized tool, launched on Tuesday, aims to assist in learning and fostering human relationships for users aged 13 to 17. OpenAI's head of youth and families, Lauren Jonas, emphasized the product's focus on being a learning aid with built-in safety measures.

ChatGPT for Teens incorporates existing safeguards for minors and introduces features such as frequent break prompts, reminders of interacting with AI, warnings against uploading sensitive images, and notifications to parents when users discuss violence. The platform is designed to deter romantic language, self-identified feelings or consciousness in the AI, and emotional dependence. If users engage in non-learning content, OpenAI plans to enhance age-appropriate experiences and safeguards further.

New features include reminders to complete homework responsibly, quizzes based on chat content, and a "Study Hours" setting that allows teens and parents to restrict ChatGPT usage for focused periods. Quiet Hours, which completely shuts down the app, and customizable elements like color accents and voice variations are also available.

Promising examples of teen usage include a search-and-rescue system developed by Virginia teens and an audio-based educational game platform created by a Texas user for blind students. However, the launch also raises concerns, including a case in Massachusetts where a 17-year-old allegedly murdered his parents after using ChatGPT to plan murders. OpenAI faces lawsuits alleging user dependency and dangerous situations, with some attributing the incidents to prolonged, heavy ChatGPT use. OpenAI denies these allegations.