ChatGPT could pose significant risks to teenagers despite the introduction of a dedicated “ChatGPT for Teens” experience, with a Common Sense Media assessment rating the product as an “Unacceptable Risk” for users under 18 after testing more than 4,000 prompts.
The assessment, conducted by the Common Sense Media Youth AI Safety Institute, found that several safeguards designed to protect teenagers did not consistently work as intended, raising concerns particularly around mental health, emotional dependence and academic integrity.
One of the key concerns was ChatGPT’s handling of teenagers in emotional distress. The study found that parental notifications did not reliably trigger even when testers explicitly discussed suicide, self-harm or eating disorders. Across more than a dozen newly created parent-linked accounts, no notifications were received during conversations lasting up to an hour involving explicit crisis disclosures.
(ANI)
