OpenAI has released a separate version of its chatbot ChatGPT, designed for users under eighteen. The new product features enhanced security settings and special educational tools. The developers hope to reduce the risks for minors and at the same time address the acute problem of cheating in schools. The main innovation is the so‑called “Learning Mode”. Instead of providing a ready‑made answer, the system asks leading questions and offers step‑by‑step support, encouraging the teenager to figure out the topic on their own. If the algorithm detects that the user is trying to get a ready‑made solution for a homework assignment, the chatbot displays a corresponding reminder and suggests switching to a learning format. Parents will be able to enable this mode by default for their child’s account. The mode will also include self‑check tests and a visualization of learning progress.

The version for teenagers includes default filters to block harmful and inappropriate content. Parents have access to a separate set of management tools, which include notifications about potentially dangerous situations, a “quiet hour” feature that limits access to the chatbot during certain hours, and full control over the child’s account security settings. Separately, OpenAI announced a partnership with the educational platform CodeAI, which should help teenagers better understand how artificial intelligence works, learn how to use it properly, and develop a critical attitude towards the responses they receive from it. Previously, the company already launched a special version of ChatGPT for teachers, focused on integrating neural networks into the educational process. The new product was launched amid a series of lawsuits against chatbot developers: the plaintiffs attribute the lack of sufficient protection measures to tragic cases of deterioration in the mental health of underage users. The ChatGPT chatbot appeared at the end of 2022 and, in just a few years, gained 900 million active users per week.

From the perspective of strategic development, the launch of ChatGPT for teenagers logically continues OpenAI’s broader strategy to establish itself in the education sector. The company has already offered free access to the ChatGPT Plus premium subscription for school teachers, building an entire ecosystem around educational institutions rather than simply responding to lawsuits. The technical complexity of the implementation deserves special attention: the system must simultaneously detect an attempt to cheat and not interfere with a legitimate educational request, and the accuracy of such classification is rarely absolute in practice. The history of digital platform development shows that parental control mechanisms are regularly circumvented by users through account or device changes. Only mass use of the product by a teenage audience will show how sustainable the new restrictions will be and whether “Learning Mode” will be an exception to this rule.