OpenAI rolls out a teen-focused ChatGPT mode with added safety tools

OpenAI introduced a dedicated ChatGPT experience aimed at teenagers, combining its prior youth safeguards with several new controls. Users who state they are between 13 and 17, or are flagged as under 18 by the platform, will be placed in this mode, whereas anyone younger than 13 is prohibited from accessing the service. The teen setting enforces stricter blocks on graphic violence, self-harm depictions, and sexual or romantic role-play, and adds contextual warnings for sensitive subjects such as eating disorders.

Parental tools now include the ability to set quiet hours, receive notifications about potential safety risks, and define "study hours" that automatically switch the AI to a homework-focused mode. Additional tweaks feature reminders about sensitive image uploads, customizable interface colors, and voice options. OpenAI noted that many of these measures build on earlier age-prediction, parental-control, and study-mode features, and it plans to publish further safety research in the future.