OpenAI has announced a new version of ChatGPT designed specifically for teenagers, with stronger safety controls and parental oversight features built in, amid growing scrutiny over the impact of AI chatbots on the safety and mental health of young users.
In a press note on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, the San Francisco-based company said 'ChatGPT for Teens' will be available to users aged 13 to 17 and includes default safeguards that limit access to certain types of content.
ChatGPT for Teens comprises of learning and safety features in one interface. It includes stronger safety features by default in areas including self-harm, violence, eating disorders, dangerous activities, and sexually explicit or graphic content.
The version also incorporates a Study Mode, which uses guiding questions and step-by-step support to help teenagers work through topics rather than simply providing answers.
“ChatGPT for Teens brings together learning and safety features in one unified experience, supporting active, collaborative learning outside the classroom while enabling more intentional and age-appropriate use of AI,” OpenAI said.
The teen version has been fine-tuned to respond differently to young users. The chatbot is prevented from suggesting it has personal feelings toward the user or implying that it is conscious or experiences emotions. It also blocks romantic or sexual chats entirely.
“We went through and identified what are the hypothetical cues that a model could give that might make a teenager kind of develop a relationship to it,” said Allison Mishkin, head of child development at OpenAI.
Other safety measures include periodic prompts encouraging teens to take a break after spending 90 minutes on the platform within any three-hour period. The model will also trigger alerts urging users to reconsider before sharing personal or sensitive images.
On sensitive topics, OpenAI said it is adding additional notifications related to eating disorders and self-harm. In high-risk situations, the system can send limited safety notifications to linked parents, with a focus on moments when offline support may matter most.
“We are adding additional notifications related to eating disorders, while limiting what is shared and focusing on moments when offline support may matter most,” OpenAI said.
OpenAI does not directly verify users' ages. Instead, it uses age assurance to estimate if someone is under 18 based on factors such as query types and account behavior. If someone is identified or identifies themselves as a minor, they are automatically placed into the teen version of the chatbot.
To use parental controls, both the teen and their parent or guardian must opt in to link accounts. Once linked, parents can set “quiet hours” when their teen cannot access ChatGPT.
But OpenAI stressed that the teen chatbot is designed to be safe even without parental controls.
"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.
For schoolwork, the teen chatbot will not give direct answers. Instead it is designed to guide students to work through problems themselves.
“We continue to also invest in expanding interactive learning because research shows that people learn more effectively when they actively engage and struggle with concepts,” Mishkin said.
OpenAI is also not positioning the product as a faster route to answers. In some cases the model is expected to resist a student’s original request and redirect them into a different type of interaction that encourages critical thinking.
The company has announced a partnership with CodeAI to help students and educators understand how AI works.
“Every student should know how AI actually works and be able to question the technology, catch its mistakes, and know when to stop trusting it. Give them that foundation, and AI becomes less a force shaping their future and instead something they can question, shape, and create on their own,” said Karim Meghji, CEO of CodeAI.
OpenAI's launch follows months of scrutiny over how AI chatbots interact with young users. Parents, educators and child development experts have raised alarms over children's use of AI chatbots, with concerns ranging from cheating on schoolwork to more serious mental health risks.
Last year, research from a watchdog group found that ChatGPT would tell 13-year-olds how to get drunk and high, instruct them on how to conceal eating disorders and even compose a suicide letter to their parents if asked. In tests with researchers posing as vulnerable teens, ChatGPT typically warned against risky activity but then provided detailed and personalized plans. ChatGPT has also been used to generate sexualised images or graphic violence.
These issues have pushed OpenAI and other major AI labs to roll out more safeguards for younger users.
A growing global push by countries to ban social media platforms for teens over harm has added to the pressure, prompting tech giants to bolster protections for under 18 users on their platforms.
