The nonprofit organization Common Sense Media has rated the ChatGPT chatbot mode for teenagers as an "unacceptable risk." Testing revealed significant shortcomings in safety mechanisms, particularly in the areas of parental controls and crisis responses. Experts recommended barring users under 18 from the service until these issues are resolved. Additionally, the Youth AI Safety Institute initiative reviewed over 4,000 queries made by teenagers aged 13–17 before and after the launch of ChatGPT for Teens on August 18, 2026. One of the most alarming findings is that the chatbot failed to recommend seeking professional help in more than a quarter of tests related to crisis situations.
Moreover, researchers found that teenagers could bypass parental restrictions by removing the @study prefix from queries in study mode, allowing the chatbot to provide ready answers to assignments. Experts also noted that the age verification mechanism is not sufficiently reliable and, in some cases, did not switch ChatGPT to teen mode even when users indicated they were 13 years old.
Despite the presence of a teen mode, ChatGPT continued to exhibit anthropomorphic traits, which experts believe could contribute to emotional dependency on artificial intelligence. Common Sense Media urged OpenAI to conduct an independent security audit, simplify the notification mechanism for parents, and improve protection against cheating. However, OpenAI disputed the findings of this study, claiming that testing might have been conducted before the full activation of parental settings. In June, a lawsuit was filed in Florida against OpenAI and CEO Sam Altman, accusing them of aggressively promoting ChatGPT to teenagers.
This material is prepared solely for informational purposes and does not constitute financial advice or a recommendation.
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