Why OpenAI is building a ChatGPT model for teenagers
Photo by Emiliano Vittoriosi on Unsplash.
- OpenAI started rolling out ChatGPT for Teens on August 18, 2026, a mode for 13-to-17-year-olds.
- OpenAI is facing FTC scrutiny and lawsuits over teen harm.
- Much of the package repackages safeguards OpenAI shipped over the past year.
OpenAI has started rolling out a version of ChatGPT built specifically for Teens aged 13 to 17.
The rollout comes after OpenAI has been dragged through the courts over lawsuits tying ChatGPT conversations to teen suicides.
How will the teen ChatGPT work?
OpenAI is rolling out a new version of its flagship chatbot, ChatGPT, which will automatically place users aged 13 to 17 in the teen version. Users under 13 are barred from ChatGPT entirely.
Even if teens try to trick the system by signing up with a fake birthdate, the system will consider signals such as the topics an account discusses, the hours it is active, and how long it has existed, in order to decide if a user is under 18 or not.
Users who are still wrongly sorted can get their age verified through Persona, a third-party firm that reviews a government ID or a live selfie and deletes the upload within seven days.
Ann O’Leary, OpenAI’s vice president of global policy, said the goal is to stop exposing teens to material “they shouldn’t be exposed to.”
Parents who link an account to a teen user can lock access to the chatbot at chosen times. They also receive alerts in limited high-risk cases, although OpenAI says the controls do not let them read a teen’s messages.
Is OpenAI adding new safety features?
OpenAI’s teen version brings together its existing safety features rather than create new ones. For instance, the age prediction feature has existed since the start of the year, while OpenAI’s parental controls and study mode were launched roughly a year ago.
The company first revealed its plans for a teen tier in September 2025. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) also made an official inquiry into OpenAI, Meta, Alphabet, xAI, Snap and Character.AI over how they protect minors around that period.
The FTC specifically targeted “companion” chatbots following multiple tragic incidents, including the suicide of a 16-year-old who had interacted extensively with ChatGPT.
A 2025 study from Common Sense Media found more than 70% of U.S. teens have used AI chatbots for companionship, and half use AI companions regularly.
A separate research found that ChatGPT would, when asked, tell 13-year-olds how to get drunk and high, hide an eating disorder, or draft a suicide note. Sam Altman has called emotional overreliance on the technology “a really common thing” among young people.
The teen experience will be available for eligible accounts on either free or paid personal plans. From August 18, the teen version will be available for eligible accounts with no restrictions for free accounts. The company is also planning a full rollout in Australia, expected by September 8.
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FAQs
Who is ChatGPT for Teens for?
It is for users aged 13 to 17. Anyone who identifies as being in that range, or whom OpenAI's system estimates to be under 18, is automatically placed in the teen version, while children under 13 are not allowed on the platform.
What does the teen version restrict?
It blocks romantic and sexual chats, prevents the chatbot from claiming feelings or consciousness, limits content on topics like suicide and eating disorders, and steers homework requests toward a study mode rather than handing over finished answers.
When does ChatGPT for Teens roll out?
OpenAI began the global rollout to eligible free and paid personal accounts on August 18, 2026, with full availability in Australia expected September 8.
Hannah Collymore
Hannah is a writer and editor with nearly a decade of blog writing and event reporting experience in the crypto space. At Cryptopolitan, Hannah contributes to the news page, reporting and analyzing the latest developments in DeFi, RWA, crypto regulation, AI and frontier tech industries. She graduated from Arcadia university with a degree in Business Administration.
