{
  "id": 12786855,
  "title": "Some guardrails on ChatGPT for Teens don’t work as promised, watchdog group says",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/some-guardrails-on-chatgpt-for-teens-dont-work-as-promised-watchdog-12786855",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-10-08T04:19:06.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Hindu - Sci-Tech",
    "slug": "the-hindu-sci-tech",
    "url": "https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/technology/some-guardrails-on-chatgpt-for-teens-dont-work-as-promised-watchdog-group-says/article71558248.ece"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A watchdog group has raised concerns that some guardrails in OpenAI's ChatGPT for Teens product do not function as intended, potentially posing an \"unacceptable risk\" to children, according to a report by Common Sense Media. The group urged OpenAI to limit the chatbot's access to adults \"until it can offer a safe, developmentally appropriate experience.\" OpenAI disputed the report's findings, stating the group's testing did not reflect how the chatbot's safeguards operate. Child development experts have warned about the risks of children using AI chatbots, which have been linked to cheating and even suicide attempts. While AI can be harmless to adults, teenagers' developing brains may make them more susceptible to unhealthy interactions. Common Sense Media's report revealed that some teen-mode features, such as the chatbot's refusal of explicit sexual role-play, worked as intended. However, other features, including suicide risk alerts and crisis support, did not function correctly. OpenAI emphasized its commitment to teen safety and pledged to develop safeguards and provide parents with tools to guide their children's AI use. The watchdog group noted that some of its funding comes from OpenAI and other technology companies it evaluates.",
  "summary": "Some of the guardrails for children that OpenAI included in its ChatGPT for Teens product do not work as intended and the chatbot poses an “unacceptable risk” to children",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 6,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Economic Times Tech",
        "title": "US non-profit urges OpenAI to keep teens off ChatGPT: Report",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/us-non-profit-urges-openai-to-keep-teens-off-chatgpt-report",
        "published": "2026-10-07T14:27:28.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Techmeme",
        "title": "OpenAI's first report on teen ChatGPT use says teens spend under 15 minutes a day on average on the chatbot, with less than 2% using it for 3+ hours straight (Reuters)",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/openais-first-report-on-teen-chatgpt-use-says-teens-spend-under-15",
        "published": "2026-10-07T16:30:19.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "TechCrunch",
        "title": "ChatGPT for Teens keeps teens talking, even during mental health crises",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/chatgpt-for-teens-keeps-teens-talking-even-during-mental-health-crises",
        "published": "2026-10-07T18:15:28.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "Some guardrails on ChatGPT for Teens don’t work as promised, watchdog group says",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/some-guardrails-on-chatgpt-for-teens-dont-work-as-promised-watchdog",
        "published": "2026-10-07T21:54:30.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Gulf News",
        "title": "Some guardrails on ChatGPT for Teens don't work as promised, watchdog group says",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/07/some-guardrails-on-chatgpt-for-teens-dont-work-as-promised-watchdog-12744214",
        "published": "2026-10-07T23:51:07.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}