OpenAI makes ChatGPT less 'human' for teens in new safety update
Summary
OpenAI has introduced new safety features for ChatGPT users under 18, including the ability to disable human-like voice responses, regular reminders to take breaks, and a 'Study Mode' where the AI helps with learning without giving direct answers. The company is also adding alerts to parents when teens attempt to use ChatGPT for harmful purposes like eating disorder-related requests, with each alert reviewed by a human before being sent.
Solution / Mitigation
OpenAI's explicit mitigations include: (1) allowing teens to switch off human voice responses; (2) setting Study Mode hours as a default setting; (3) activating 'quiet times' to automatically switch off the tool; (4) adding eating disorder-themed prompts to a flagged request list that alerts linked parents within an hour after human review; and (5) displaying reminders that 'ChatGPT is AI, and it can wait.'
Classification
Affected Vendors
Related Issues
Original source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czxqz91n5n8o?at_medium=RSS&at_campaign=rss
First tracked: August 18, 2026 at 08:01 AM
Classified by LLM (prompt v3) · confidence: 92%