'Not every student has...' OpenAI APAC chief Kiran Mani says ChatGPT for Teens launch 'felt deeply personal'

OpenAI announced on Tuesday that it is introducing a teenager-focused version of its AI chatbot, ChatGPT, which will help youngsters in their education, allowing them to learn, deepen their understanding, as well as use AI with confidence, the company said in a blogpost.

Regarding this launch, the company's APAC chief Kiran Mani has said, “As a parent to a teenager and a pre-teen, I think about AI the same way many parents do - I want young people to be able to learn, explore and build with it, but I also want to know they can use it safely,” adding, “That’s why yesterday’s announcement of ChatGPT for Teens felt deeply personal and important.”

This launch comes as another tech giant, Meta, is facing a landmark trial in which 29 states have accused the company of continuing measures to hook teenagers onto its social media platforms despite knowing that social media addiction was a real issue.

OpenAI said that its new ChatGPT version for teenagers will kick in for a new user once its system estimates that someone falls in the age bracket of 13 to 17.

The company also said that this modified chatbot for youngsters continues the work it has done to support teens, like updating their parental controls, under-18 model spec, creating " Teen Safety Blueprint, rolling out Age-Prediction and expanding features to support learning and healthy AI use for teens."

ChatGPT also claimed that across its network the company is guided by four commitments:

"put teen safety first, encourage real-world support, treat teens like teens, and be transparent about how our systems should behave."

What are the new features of ChatGPT for Teens?

The main focus for teenagers will be to support their learning. OpenAI is introducing Study Mode, homework reminders, and quizzes and learning visualisations.

ChatGPT for Teens is also coming with Study Hours wherein teens or their parents will be able to choose when Study Mode gets switched on by default.

ChatGPT for Teens comes after company, CEO faced lawsuits

This latest product is coming almost a year after the company and its CEO, Sam Altman, were sued by the parents of a 16-year-old in California, who said in their lawsuit that ChatGPT acted as a "suicide coach" for their son.

They said that the chatbot not only created a psychological dependency for the child, but also provided instructions on self-harm and even offered to a draft a suicide note for him.

OpenAI, on its part, denied that ChatGPT acted as a suicide coach and placed the onus on the teenager, saying that he misused the chatbot.

“Plaintiffs’ alleged injuries and harm were caused or contributed to, directly and proximately, in whole or in part, by Adam Raine’s misuse, unauthorized use, unintended use, unforeseeable use, and/or improper use of ChatGPT,” OpeAI had said in its court filing.