ChatGPT adds age verification to protect teens from harmful content

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman announced that ChatGPT is developing an automated age-detection system that may require users to provide ID verification when their age cannot be determined. The move comes as OpenAI faces mounting pressure over teen safety concerns, including a high-profile lawsuit alleging the chatbot contributed to a 16-year-old’s suicide.

What you should know: ChatGPT is implementing multiple safety measures specifically designed for users under 18.

• The platform will use behavioral analysis to estimate user age, defaulting to under-18 protections when uncertain.
• Altman clarified that “ChatGPT is intended for people 13 and up” in a blog post titled “Teen safety, freedom, and privacy.”
• Content will be filtered for teens, including flirtatious responses and discussions around self-harm.

The verification process: OpenAI acknowledges the privacy trade-offs but considers them necessary for protecting minors.

• “In some cases or countries we may also ask for an ID; we know this is a privacy compromise for adults but believe it is a worthy tradeoff,” Altman wrote.
• The age-prediction system will analyze how people interact with ChatGPT to determine if they’re likely under 18.
• When doubt exists, the system will automatically apply teen safety restrictions.

Emergency intervention features: ChatGPT will actively respond to signs of self-harm among teenage users.

• If a teenager expresses suicidal thoughts, the chatbot will attempt to contact their parents directly.
• When parental contact isn’t possible, ChatGPT will try to alert authorities.
• The system will monitor interactions for “worrying or potentially harmful behaviour” and notify linked parent accounts.

New parental controls: Parents will gain significant oversight capabilities through account linking.

• Parents can set “blackout hours” when teens cannot access the platform.
• Chat history can be disabled at parental discretion.
• The system will send alerts to parents when detecting concerning interactions with their child.

What they’re saying: Altman acknowledged the controversial nature of these safety measures while defending their necessity.

• “We realize that these principles are in conflict and not everyone will agree with how we are resolving that conflict,” he wrote.
• “These are difficult decisions, but after talking with experts, this is what we think is best and want to be transparent in our intentions.”
• The company emphasizes it will “prioritize safety ahead of privacy and freedom for teens” because minors need “significant protection.”