Thu 08 October 2026:
OpenAI’s ChatGPT for Teens poses an “unacceptable risk” to children despite recently introduced safety measures, according to an assessment by the Common Sense Media’s Youth AI Safety Institute.
The organization urged OpenAI to restrict ChatGPT to users aged 18 and older until it addresses shortcomings researchers identified in parental alerts, crisis responses, learning protections and age estimation.
Researchers tested more than 4,000 prompts on accounts registered to users aged 13 to 17 and had responses reviewed by experts, including child psychiatrists and a pediatrician.
The institute said newly created accounts linked to parents generated no alerts even when testers spent up to an hour discussing suicidal thoughts, self-harm or disordered eating.
“ChatGPT for Teens could give parents false confidence in guardrails and safety alerts that frequently don’t work,” said Tom Siegel, executive director of the institute.
OpenAI disputed the assessment, saying much of the testing may have taken place before parental controls were fully activated and therefore did not accurately reflect how its teen safeguards work in practice.
The institute said it had confirmed with OpenAI before testing that the Teen Mode features were fully launched and stood by its findings.
__________________________________________________________________________
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAtNxX8fewmiFmN7N22
__________________________________________________________________________
AI can harm children in quiet, everyday ways, not only through dramatic failures.
First, it can weaken learning. When a chatbot writes the essay, solves the math, or explains the concept instantly, a child skips the struggle that builds memory and judgment. Over time, homework becomes a copy-paste habit, and the skill of thinking through a hard problem fades.
Second, it can distort attention. Recommendation systems already know what keeps a child watching. Generative tools make that loop tighter: endless stories, games, and videos tuned to their exact interests. The result is less boredom, less free play, and more time in a feed that never really ends.
Third, it blurs truth. A confident answer can be wrong, biased, or invented. Younger children often cannot tell a real fact from a polished fake, and deepfakes make bullying and impersonation easier. A classmate’s face or voice can be copied in minutes.
Fourth, privacy is thin. Prompts, photos, and voice clips can be stored, reused, or leaked. Children rarely understand what they are giving away.
Finally, constant chatbot talk can crowd out real friendship. A machine that always agrees does not teach conflict, empathy, or patience.
Used with limits, AI is a tool. Used as a tutor, friend, and entertainer at once, it can quietly replace the hard parts of growing up.
SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES
__________________________________________________________________________
FOLLOW INDEPENDENT PRESS:
WhatsApp CHANNEL
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaAtNxX8fewmiFmN7N22
TWITTER (CLICK HERE)
https://twitter.com/IpIndependent
FACEBOOK (CLICK HERE)
https://web.facebook.com/ipindependent
YOUTUBE (CLICK HERE)
https://www.youtube.com/@ipindependent
Think your friends would be interested? Share this story!
