SAN FRANCISCO — OpenAI launched ChatGPT for Teens on Tuesday, introducing a version of its artificial intelligence chatbot specifically designed for users aged 13 to 17. The new product includes content restrictions, parental controls, and study-focused features intended to guide younger users while limiting exposure to harmful material.

The platform is engineered to prevent the chatbot from suggesting it has personal feelings toward the user or implying that it is conscious or experiences emotions. The chatbot is prevented from suggesting it has personal feelings. Content filters block discussions related to suicide, self-harm, and romantic or sexual chats to maintain developmental safety boundaries.

OpenAI uses age assurance mechanisms to estimate if a user is under 18 based on factors such as query types. Users who identify themselves as minors are automatically placed into the teen version of the chatbot to ensure appropriate safeguards are active.

The teen chatbot provides homework and study support designed to guide students to come up with answers on their own rather than providing direct answers. This approach aims to foster independent learning while leveraging the tool's capabilities for educational assistance.

Teens or parents can set "Study Hours" where Study Mode is enabled by default. The chatbot also displays reminders cautioning teens if they attempt to upload private or sensitive images to protect user privacy.

To use parental controls, both the teen user and their parent or guardian must opt in. This dual consent requirement ensures that guardians are aware of and agree to the monitoring features before they are activated.

Parents with linked teen accounts can set "quiet hours" when their teen cannot access ChatGPT. Teen users also receive nudges to take a break if they have been active for 90 minutes within a three-hour window to encourage healthy usage habits.

Parents receive safety notifications in limited high-risk situations, such as the possibility of a user hurting themself. OpenAI is adding additional notifications related to eating disorders to expand the scope of these protective alerts.

"We want to treat teens like teens, which means that we have to make sure that we’re showing up with the right developmental stage when we’re not either talking down to them or treating them like kids, but we’re also making sure that they’re not exposed to material that they shouldn’t be exposed to," said Ann O’Leary, Vice President of Global Policy at OpenAI.

Nearly a third of American teens use AI chatbots daily, according to a Pew Research Center study published in December. More than 70% of teens in the U.S. are turning to AI chatbots for companionship and half use AI companions regularly, according to a 2025 study from Common Sense Media.

"Announcements like these can be seen as a step in the right direction. But I also would caution against parents being lured into this false sense of safety based on the announcement," said Brendan Bouffard, Associate General Counsel for AI and Privacy at Fairplay.

Why It Matters

The launch occurs as regulatory and legal scrutiny of AI companies regarding minor safety increases. Seven families of victims of a school shooting in Tumbler Ridge, British Columbia, sued OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman in April, alleging ChatGPT was complicit in the injuries or deaths of their children. The state of Florida sued OpenAI and Sam Altman in June, claiming they failed to address ChatGPT’s safety risks for minors.

Federal regulators are also examining the industry's impact on youth. The Federal Trade Commission launched an inquiry in September into seven companies, including OpenAI and Meta, regarding how their AI chatbots potentially affect children and teenagers. These actions reflect the high stakes for technology firms developing products for younger demographics.