OpenAI launches dedicated ChatGPT mode for teens

OpenAI introduced ChatGPT for Teens, a mode for users ages 13-17 that combines existing youth safeguards with new safety features and parental controls. It automatically applies to users who self-identify as teens or whom the system estimates to be underage.

Why it matters: The launch follows mounting scrutiny over AI chatbots' effects on minors, including reports of harmful interactions with young users elsewhere in the industry. Age-gating and parental controls could become a template other AI companies adopt as regulators push for stronger youth protections across the sector.