Overview

• A dedicated under‑18 experience will block graphic and sexual content, prohibit flirtatious exchanges, and avoid engaging on self‑harm topics for younger users.
• New parental controls will let guardians link accounts, set blackout hours, disable features such as memory and chat history, guide responses, and receive alerts if a teen is in acute distress, with availability expected by the end of the month.
• OpenAI is building an age‑prediction system to estimate whether a user is under 18 and will default to the teen experience when unsure, with ID checks possible in some countries.
• If an under‑18 user expresses suicidal ideation and parents cannot be reached, the company says it will contact authorities in cases of imminent harm.
• The safety push accompanies an internal usage study showing younger users drive a large share of messages and most interactions are practical tasks, as lawmakers and the FTC scrutinize chatbot risks to children.