OpenAI is developing a system designed to automatically identify teen users and restrict their usage of ChatGPT. In a blog post published Tuesday, the company said the new experience would come with age-appropriate policies, including a block of graphic sexual content. “In cases of acute distress,” the system will also have the capability to contact law enforcement to ensure user safety. In scenarios where ChatGPT can’t definitively estimate the age of a user, it will default them to the new gated experience. OpenAI will provide a way for adult users to verify their age and unlock ChatGPT’s full capabilities. The company did not state when it plans to deploy the new systems.
The announcement follows the death of 16-year-old Adam Raine, the first teen believed to have committed suicide after ChatGPT allegedly helped him plan his death. In the immediate aftermath of the suicide, OpenAI promised to release controls designed to give parents and guardians more say over their teen’s usage of ChatGPT. On Tuesday, the company reiterated that those controls would arrive before the end of the month, and said they would include an additional feature that would give parents the ability to set hours where their child could not use ChatGPT.
Separately, OpenAI published a letter from CEO Sam Altman detailing the company’s thinking on the issue. “We prioritize safety ahead of privacy and freedom for teens; this is a new and powerful technology, and we believe minors need significant protection,” Altman said. “We realize that these principles are in conflict and not everyone will agree with how we are resolving that conflict. These are difficult decisions, but after talking with experts, this is what we think is best and want to be transparent in our intentions.”
