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Parent company OpenAI hopes its new tool will help with practice exams and more
Teenagers will be treated to a bespoke Artificial Intelligence (AI) experience from OpenAI. The breakout brand behind ChatGPT is rolling out ChatGPT for Teens, which offers anyone aged between 13 – 17, a dedicated space to use AI with tighter safety features and tools built around learning.
The mode is designed to bring together stronger content restrictions, educational features, and parental controls all in one place. OpenAI said in a blog post: "An experience designed to help teens learn, think critically, deepen understanding, and use AI with confidence.
"It provides stronger built-in safety protections for teens, including features to promote healthy use and additional controls for parents. If our system estimates someone is under 18 or they state their age is between 13 and 17, they are automatically placed into ChatGPT for Teens."
Children under 13 still aren't allowed to use the platform at all.
Like other underage accounts, ChatGPT's parental controls are designed to give parents oversight without being intrusive. Parents can link their own accounts to their teen's ChatGPT, manage settings, set hours they're not allowed to access, and receive alerts if the system flags a potential safety risk.
Teen mode will also apply tighter restrictions by default around graphic violence, self-harm, eating disorders, and sexually explicit or romantic material. When sensitive topics do come up, the system surfaces warnings and safety information rather than simply blocking everything.
There are also reminders that pop up if a teen has been chatting for a long time, encouraging them to step away and take a break. Teens will get warnings about uploading private or sensitive images, and the system consistently identifies itself as AI to discourage emotional dependence.
Additionally, OpenAI has introduced Study Mode, which is designed to get students to work through problems from their coursework instead of only copying the answers.
This means instead of handing over a solution like ChatGPT normally would, it asks guiding questions and walks teens through material step by step. For example, it could help you through a complex equation.
A math teacher said: "Not every student has someone at home who can help when they get stuck or have questions with their homework. With the right guardrails, AI can help fill that gap. Tools like Responsible Homework Reminder can guide students step by step, helping them understand their mistakes, build confidence, and keep learning—not simply hand them an answer.
"That kind of individualized support can make a meaningful difference for students who want to succeed but don’t always know how to move forward.”
This feature alone eliminates the need for having to download multiple other apps or study materials like Quizlet or BBC Bitesize.
There are also homework reminders that kick in when the system spots a teen trying to take a shortcut on an assignment. Rather than just blocking them, it nudges them back towards Study Mode for a more collaborative approach.
On top of that, teens get access to quizzes and visual learning tools to help reinforce what they've studied.
Parents and teens can also set scheduled Study Hours — specific times when Study Mode switches on automatically, helping build better revision habits into a daily routine. ChatGPT for Teens is rolling out to everyone gradually, so if you don't see it quite yet, it could pop up within the next few weeks.
