07/10/2026
ChatGPT for Teens is unsafe for under-18s, Common Sense Media says
ChatGPT is unsafe for anyone under 18, even in the teen mode OpenAI launched in August, according to a new risk assessment from Common Sense Media. The US nonprofit gave ChatGPT for Teens its lowest rating, “Unacceptable Risk”, in a report published on Wednesday.
The group wants OpenAI to stop promoting Teen Mode, and adds that teens should not use ChatGPT at all until the company can make it safe for them.
Researchers at its Youth AI Safety Institute tested more than 4,000 prompts. Half were tested before the August 18 launch and half afterwards, on accounts registered to 13- to 17-year-olds, so they could see what the new mode actually changed.
The parental alerts were among the biggest problems. Testers discussed suicidal thoughts, self-harm, and disordered eating on more than a dozen new accounts linked to a parent, but no alerts arrived.
Alerts came only on accounts with weeks of history on sensitive topics, which suggests they depend on past use rather than on how serious a message is.
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