ChatGPT for Teens Is an ‘Unacceptable Risk,’ Watchdog Group Says
Research by Common Sense Media says that OpenAI’s parent alert system is faulty and that the chatbot doesn’t help kids improve their learning skills.
Common Sense Media, a group that rates and reviews media and technology for children, has described OpenAI's ChatGPT for Teens as posing an "unacceptable risk" for young users. The nonprofit organization tested the chatbot and found it failed to deliver on several of its objectives, presenting a significant risk to anyone under 18.
The study, which involved over 4,000 prompts from accounts registered to 13- to 17-year-olds, revealed that ChatGPT for Teens did not send notifications for discussions about suicidal thoughts, self-harm, or eating disorders. Additionally, the chatbot did not provide crisis referrals for various mental health conditions and did not keep teens engaged in a collaborative learning process as OpenAI had claimed.
Testers were also able to bypass the Study mode's tutoring process and select a button for quick solutions. Furthermore, the age verification system was found to be inconsistent, with teens able to register as adults without their accounts being switched to teen accounts. The study comes amid a string of recent incidents involving tech companies and children's mental health, including Facebook, TikTok, and Google facing lawsuits and settlements related to mental health impacts on children.
OpenAI, which launched ChatGPT for Teens in August, has been criticized for its age estimation system and parental alerts, which failed to detect high-risk situations within one hour. The company has defended its product and stated it is committed to teen safety but has not yet addressed the study's findings.
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