Why teens deserve access to safe AI

Teens are the first generation growing up with AI, and this technology will heavily shape their future. Today, nearly 9 in 10 teens on ChatGPT use it for learning, information, skill-building, or productivity in a single week. This is why we believe it’s critical for teens to have access to AI. Keeping teens from using it until adulthood would be like asking a previous generation to avoid the internet or search engines until they turned 18, leaving them less prepared to use one of the defining technologies of their time. But access must be paired with protections designed specifically for teens.

During a recent OpenAI Academy⁠(opens in a new window) Oriana McKenzie shared how ChatGPT helped her become No.1 in her high school class by studying smarter and managing her workload—giving her the time needed for the sports and school programs she loves. Her story illustrates what’s possible when teens have access to AI that helps them learn and create.

To maximize those gains, teens need stronger protections designed for their stage of life, including automated guardrails that let them explore, learn, and build with confidence, while providing safeguards tailored to their age. As AI becomes more capable, our responsibility is to combine broad access with age-appropriate protections that allow teens to benefit from this technology as it evolves.

Over the past year, that has meant strengthening default protections for teens, rolling out age prediction⁠, expanding Parental Controls⁠, creating additional family resources⁠(opens in a new window) to help parents support healthy, responsible use, and introducing learning features to help support deeper understanding rather than just providing answers.

Our work is guided by four key commitments⁠:

• We put teen safety first even when it may conflict with other goals.

• We encourage real-world support in times of need.

• We treat teens as teens.

• We are transparent by setting clear expectations.