OpenAI Teen Safety and Learning Framework

OpenAI is implementing a framework of age-appropriate protections and learning-focused tools to ensure teenagers can safely access AI. This approach is based on the premise that AI is a defining technology for the current generation and that restricting access until adulthood would leave teens unprepared for the future.

Learning-Focused Tools and Study Mode

OpenAI is shifting the focus of AI interaction for teens from providing immediate answers to fostering active engagement and critical thinking.

Study Mode

Study Mode was developed in collaboration with pedagogy experts, learning scientists, and teachers. Instead of simply providing answers, it uses structured explanations, guiding questions, and opportunities for reflection to help students work through problems step-by-step. Early evaluations indicate that these tools have led to promising gains in student performance.

Educational Support Features

To facilitate academic use, OpenAI has introduced several specific enhancements:

• Parental Activation: Parents with linked teen accounts can now enable Study Mode directly via Parental Controls, making it the default for all new chats started by the teen.
• Starter Prompts: New education-focused prompts help teens break down complex topics, create flashcards, generate practice questions, and turn notes into study guides.
• Interactive Experiences: ChatGPT now offers interactive learning experiences for over 300 topics in math and science, currently used by 18 million weekly users.
• Language Learning: A new pronunciation experience utilizes audio to assist users in learning pronunciation across more than 61 languages.

Built-in Safeguards for Teen Users

When ChatGPT estimates a user is under 18, it automatically applies a more age-appropriate experience with strengthened guardrails to reduce exposure to harmful content.

Content Protections

Stronger safeguards are implemented to prevent exposure to:

• Graphic violence
• Self-harm
• Risky viral challenges
• Unhealthy body-image content
• Dangerous, romantic, or sexual roleplay

Behavioral Health and Habit Formation

To encourage balanced technology habits, ChatGPT now provides more frequent break reminders to teens who spend extended periods of time using the platform.

Parental Controls and Notifications

OpenAI has developed tools to help parents manage their teen's AI usage:

• Control Settings: Parents can set quiet hours, disable voice mode, and manage access to image generation.
• High-Risk Notifications: Parents receive notifications in high-risk situations, such as indications of potential self-harm.
• Policy Violation Alerts: Notifications are being expanded to include cases where a linked teen account is deactivated for violating usage policies regarding violent threats or acts of violence online.

Collaborative Safety Ecosystem

OpenAI collaborates with external experts and organizations to refine its safety policies and evaluate the effectiveness of its safeguards.

Expert Partnerships

OpenAI works with child safety experts, mental health professionals, researchers, governments, and educators. Specifically, the company consulted with Moonshot, a leader in preventing online violence, to ensure interventions are thoughtful and effective.

Industry Membership

OpenAI has joined the Family Online Safety Institute (FOSI) to advance industry-wide efforts in strengthening age-appropriate protections and parental tools.

Future Roadmap

OpenAI intends to continue strengthening age-appropriate protections and improving safeguards against serious harms. Future efforts will focus on advancing research into healthy AI use and expanding experiences that help teens learn actively and confidently.