이미지: The Verge AI 화면 갈무리
Summary
- OpenAI has unveiled a dedicated ChatGPT mode targeting users aged 13 to 17
- It brings together existing teen protections, new safety features, and parental controls in one place
- It automatically applies to users who state their age as 13-17 or whom the system estimates to be minors
- 발표 주체
- OpenAI
- 적용 대상
- 13~17세로 신원을 밝힌 이용자, 시스템이 미성년으로 추정한 이용자
- 발표 시점
- 화요일 블로그 게시 (The Verge 보도 2026-08-18)
- 핵심 기능
- 청소년 보호 장치 + 부모 통제 기능 통합
OpenAI has introduced a dedicated ChatGPT mode for teenagers aged 13 to 17. The core of the announcement is that it consolidates previously separate teen protection measures, newly added safety features, and parental controls into a single interface. In a blog post, OpenAI described the mode as "an experience that helps teens learn, think critically, expand their understanding, and use AI with confidence." Teen Mode automatically applies either when users self-report their age as 13-17 or when the system flags an account as likely belonging to a minor.
The move comes amid growing social concern over the impact AI chatbots have on younger users. As issues around the emotional effects of chatbot conversations on teenagers and the possibility of exposure to harmful information have repeatedly come under scrutiny, not only OpenAI but other platforms as well have been moving to establish their own age verification procedures and teen-specific safeguards. For OpenAI, given that ChatGPT is already widely used by students for studying and homework, refining age verification and protective measures is tied to both reducing regulatory risk and preserving trust. Indeed, OpenAI has reportedly been considering offering U.S. college students a year of free ChatGPT Plus, a move that extends its learning-support strategy to an older age group beyond teenagers.
That said, the announcement did not specify exactly what parental controls will be able to manage or how the age-estimation system works in detail. For teenage users and parents, now is a good time to check whether new age-related options have appeared in ChatGPT's account settings. For schools or households that have been wrestling with how to handle AI tool use, Teen Mode could offer a practical way to turn on safeguards without needing to set up a separate account.
