OpenAI has announced plans to launch a dedicated version of ChatGPT for children and teenagers under 18. The company will soon introduce a parental control feature that links parent and child accounts.
CNBC reported on Tuesday that OpenAI made this decision following the Federal Trade Commission’s (FTC) investigation into the potential negative impacts of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots from major tech companies on young users.
With this update, ChatGPT will automatically direct users identified as minors to an age-appropriate environment.
The youth-focused ChatGPT will block explicit sexual content and material related to suicide and self-harm. In cases where users exhibit signs of suicidal behavior or other dangerous situations, the system will attempt to contact parents or, if unsuccessful, alert authorities.
OpenAI is developing technology to more accurately determine users’ ages. However, in cases of uncertainty or incomplete information, ChatGPT will default to settings for users under 18. The company noted that some countries may require identification.
This move comes amid growing concerns that ChatGPT has been planting unrealistic and false delusions in some users, leading to misguided beliefs and life-threatening situations.
In California, the parents of a 16-year-old boy who died by suicide on August 25 have filed a lawsuit against OpenAI.
Matthew and Maria Rain alleged in their complaint that their son Adam became increasingly dependent on ChatGPT for homework assistance. During his final interaction with the chatbot on April 11, they claim it provided responses that contributed to his suicide.
Adam was found deceased just hours after his conversation with ChatGPT.
The couple is seeking damages and has requested that the court mandate the automatic termination of all conversations related to self-harm, as well as the implementation of safety features for minors, including parental controls.
In response, OpenAI announced on August 26 that it would launch parental control features for ChatGPT, set to take effect at the end of this month.
These controls will allow parents to link their accounts with their children’s via email, set usage time limits, and disable functions such as memory and chat history. Parents will also be able to receive alerts if their child is detected to be in a serious crisis.
