NEED TO KNOW<\/p>\n
OpenAI has launched ChatGPT for Teens, designed specifically for users ages 13 to 17<\/p>\n
The new experience includes learning tools such as Study Mode, Study Hours and homework reminders<\/p>\n
It also includes additional safety features and parental controls, according to OpenAI<\/p>\n
OpenAI<\/a> is introducing ChatGPT for Teens<\/a>, a version of its chatbot designed for users ages 13 to 17, with additional safety protections and parental controls.<\/p>\n The company said the new experience is intended to help teens “learn, think critically, deepen understanding, and use AI with confidence.” Users whom the system estimates are under 18, or who state that they are between 13 and 17, will automatically be placed into the teen experience, according to OpenAI.<\/p>\n The teen version also includes tools designed to support schoolwork, the company said. Study Mode is designed to walk students through material using prompts and incremental guidance instead of providing direct answers. Teens or their parents can also set specific times when Study Mode will automatically turn on, according to OpenAI.<\/p>\n OpenAI is also allegedly adding homework reminders that can recognize when a teen appears to be trying to shortcut an assignment and redirect them toward Study Mode.<\/p>\n The new experience also comes with what the company describes as “age-appropriate safeguards” around areas including self-harm<\/a>, violence, eating disorders, dangerous activities and explicit sexual or graphic content, according to the company<\/a>.<\/p>\n Parents with linked teen accounts can set Quiet Hours, manage selected settings and receive safety notifications in limited high-risk situations.<\/p>\n The launch comes after the family of Adam Raine<\/a>, a 16-year-old California boy who died by suicide on April 11, 2025, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman<\/a>.<\/p>\n Raine’s parents, Matt and Maria Raine, allege that their son had been communicating with ChatGPT for months about his suicidal thoughts and struggles.<\/p>\n “ChatGPT became the center of Adam’s life, and it’s become a constant companion for teens across the country,” the family’s attorney, Jay Edelson, said at the time. “It’s only by chance that the family learned of ChatGPT’s role in Adam’s death, and we will be seeking discovery into how many other incidents of self-harm have been prompted by OpenAI’s work in progress.”<\/p>\n Matt Raine also spoke about his son’s death on the Today<\/a> show<\/a> last year.<\/p>\n “He would be here but for ChatGPT, I 100% believe that,” he said. “This was a normal teenage boy. He was not a kid on a lifelong path towards mental trauma and illness.”<\/p>\n Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/p>\n OpenAI said the new safeguards are intended to reduce exposure to potentially harmful<\/a> or developmentally inappropriate content while allowing teenagers to use ChatGPT<\/a>.<\/p>\n “Teens should be able to use AI to learn, create, and explore,” the company said. “But that access should come with protections that reflect their developmental stage, reinforce real-world relationships, and support healthy use over time.”<\/p>\n PEOPLE has reached out to OpenAI for comment.<\/p>\n If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health challenges, emotional distress, substance use problems, or just needs to talk, call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org 24\/7.<\/p>\n