OpenAI has launched ChatGPT for Teens, a version of its chatbot built for users aged 13 to 17, with tighter content limits and parental controls. The global rollout began on August 18, 2026.
DR reports that OpenAI has released a dedicated version of ChatGPT for 13 to 17 year olds. The company says the aim is a more protected, age appropriate environment that limits exposure to harmful material.
According to DR, children and young people already use tools like ChatGPT extensively for homework and for advice when life is difficult. The technology has also been criticized for making it easier to cheat in schools, and there have been cases of chatbots giving guidance on self-harm.
OpenAI says the safeguards cover content on violence, sex and eating disorders. Ann O’Leary, vice president for global policy at OpenAI, said the company wants to meet teenagers at their developmental level without talking down to them, per DR.
The company also says the teen version avoids handing over easy answers. Instead, it is designed to guide users toward working out schoolwork themselves, as reported by The Guardian. TechCrunch adds that the release includes a Study Mode, homework reminders, quizzes and learning visualizations.
Age checks and parental controls
There is no direct age verification. DR notes that users can state that they are minors, or OpenAI’s own system can place them in the teen version based on signals such as the questions they ask. The New York Times reports that OpenAI tracks more than 2,000 signals to estimate whether a user is under 18.
A parental control function lets parents set periods when the service cannot be used, according to OpenAI’s press release cited by DR. Parents can also receive notifications in situations that may be harmful to a child. The Guardian reports that both the teenager and a parent or guardian must opt in to the controls.
OpenAI says the teen chatbot is built so that it cannot suggest it has feelings, which is meant to prevent users from believing they have a special relationship with it. DR adds that the version also includes a feature reminding young users not to upload sensitive or private images.
In Denmark, the children’s organization Børns Vilkår has previously warned that some young people settle for a chatbot’s answers and therefore do not talk to a real person about their problems. A VIVE report found that people aged 18 to 33 use ChatGPT as a kind of confidant, and its researchers wrote that the technology can keep young people in unhelpful thought patterns.
OpenAI’s help center states that the teen experience is rolling out globally from August 18, 2026, on free and paid personal plans. Reuters reports that the company is presenting the launch as a response to criticism over the risks chatbots pose to minors.
